NASA astronaut Jessica Meir captured a timelapse video of the Southern Lights from a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft orbiting over Antarctica [1, 2, 3].
The footage provides a rare orbital perspective of the aurora australis, illustrating the visible impact of solar activity on Earth's atmosphere. Documenting these events helps the public understand the interaction between solar flares and the planet's magnetic field [2].
Meir recorded the timelapse on June 7, 2026 [4, 5]. The phenomenon was triggered by a recent solar flare and a coronal mass ejection, which sent charged particles toward Earth [2]. As these particles interact with the atmosphere, they create the dancing lights characteristic of the aurora.
The recording took place during the Crew-12 mission [1, 2, 3]. While some reports placed the astronaut on the International Space Station, other records specify the footage was taken from the SpaceX Dragon capsule [1, 3].
Space-based observations allow researchers and astronauts to see the scale of these geomagnetic storms without the interference of ground-level weather or light pollution. This specific event highlighted the intensity of the solar flare's reach, as the lights were vivid enough to be captured in a high-quality timelapse from orbit [2].
The video serves as both a scientific record and an educational tool, showcasing the dynamic nature of the solar system's influence on Earth [2].
“Jessica Meir captured a timelapse video of the Southern Lights from a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.”
The ability to capture high-resolution timelapse footage of auroras from a spacecraft like the Crew Dragon demonstrates the increasing utility of commercial space flight for scientific observation. By linking specific solar events, such as coronal mass ejections, to visible atmospheric reactions in real-time, NASA can better communicate the effects of space weather on Earth's environment.
