NASA astronaut Jessica Meir captured a timelapse video of the aurora australis from aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft [1].

The footage provides a rare orbital perspective of the Southern Lights, documenting the atmospheric phenomenon as seen from the edge of space. Such visuals help the public understand the scale and movement of geomagnetic storms over the Southern Hemisphere.

Meir recorded the sequence while the spacecraft was in orbit [1]. The timelapse shows the aurora australis, also known as the Southern Lights, manifesting as shimmering, snake-like patterns of light across the atmosphere [4]. This specific recording was captured June 5 [1].

The footage was released as part of a visual series documenting the spectacle of space from the perspective of crew members [1]. While the video was captured earlier this month, it was highlighted in a "Space photo of the day" feature June 9, 2026 [4].

Spacecraft like the SpaceX Dragon allow astronauts to maintain a vantage point that is impossible for ground-based observers. By filming the lights from orbit, Meir captured the fluid motion of the particles interacting with Earth's magnetic field, a view that reveals the global extent of the aurora [1].

The documentation of these events serves as a bridge between complex space science and public outreach. By sharing these visuals, NASA and its partners provide a tangible look at the interaction between solar wind and the planet's magnetosphere [1].

“NASA astronaut Jessica Meir captured a timelapse video of the aurora australis”

The ability to capture high-resolution timelapse footage from commercial spacecraft like the SpaceX Dragon enhances the scientific community's capacity for visual monitoring of the magnetosphere. These observations provide critical data on the behavior of solar particles, helping researchers better understand the dynamics of the Southern Hemisphere's atmospheric lights compared to their northern counterparts.