A new shot from European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet has stunned spectators: breathtaking Aurora Australis displays that only a select few Earthlings will ever see.
Pesquet is now on the International Space Station, circling the planet in orbit and getting some spectacular views of Earth. In a tweet over the weekend, he described this latest aurora image as "special as it is so bright."
"It is the full moon lighting up the shadow side of Earth, almost like daylight," he explained.
Another #aurora but this one is special as it is so bright. It is the full Moon lighting up the shadow side of Earth almost like daylight. #MissionAlpha https://t.co/vhJVPNqE1D pic.twitter.com/bcx6NNZsrj — Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) September 24, 2021
The ISS photograph was taken in August. Pesquet has been on the ISS since April and will return to Earth in November. He's put his space photography skills to good use, most recently wowing us with a photo of Earth's city lights reflected in the darkness by stars.
The Aurora Australis is less well-known than the Aurora Borealis, often known as the northern lights, but it can be just as stunning.
Auroras are caused by solar winds, which are a stream of charged particles. When the Sun emits a stream of charged particles, it is called solar wind. These energetic particles fly at incredible speeds through space.
They will have arrived when they reach the magnetosphere, which is controlled by the Earth's magnetic field. The field emits powerful electromagnetic waves that go to the Earth's surface. Electrons ride these waves, colliding with atoms and molecules to create auroras, which are spectacular light shows.
Pesquet, an ESA engineer, is a member of NASA's Expedition 65, which launched to the station in April as part of the SpaceX Crew-2 mission. It's his second spaceflight, and he's become well-known in this part of the sky for sending back some truly amazing images of our home planet.
It's a busy time on the ISS, with the third SpaceX Crew-3 mission set to launch on Halloween and kick off Expedition 66. When the four-person crew on the Crew-3 mission arrives at the station in late October, Pesquet will take over as commander.
Expedition 66 will also feature two Russian civilians, film director Klim Shipenko and actress Yulia Peresild, who will embark on a Soyuz rocket on Oct. 5 to film scenes for the film "The Challenge."
