NASA astronaut shares stunning time-lapse of red and green auroras dancing across space; watch video here

On October 8, Dominick shared a mesmerising timelapse video on X, showcasing these vibrant hues dancing across space. (Image: @dominickmatthew/X)

A week after mysterious lights lit up Bengaluru's skies, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick captured stunning footage of red and green auroras from the Dragon Endeavour spacecraft. On October 8, Dominick shared a mesmerising timelapse video on X, showcasing these vibrant hues dancing across space. "Red and green aurora appear to dance in a timelapse as we fly by looking out Dragon Endeavour’s window with Dragon Freedom in view,” Dominick wrote.

Red and green aurora appear to dance in a timelapse as we flyby looking out Dragon Endeavours window with Dragon Freedom in view.
We shot a couple thousand images yesterday trying to get the settings, lighting, and framing just right across multiple orbital nights because the pic.twitter.com/Y3IhlqTNrO Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 8, 2024

The astronaut explained that he and his team shot thousands of images over several orbital nights to perfect the settings and capture the stunning display of light caused by recent solar activity. The auroras were particularly bright due to heightened solar flare activity in recent weeks.

In a post on X, Dominick revealed the camera settings used to capture this phenomenon: “0.8s exposure, 14mm, ISO 3200, 1.6s interval, 30fps.” His timelapse video quickly went viral, garnering over 200,000 views.

Red and green aurora appear to dance in a timelapse as we flyby looking out Dragon Endeavours window with Dragon Freedom in view.We shot a couple thousand images yesterday trying to get the settings, lighting, and framing just right across multiple orbital nights because the pic.twitter.com/Y3IhlqTNrO Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 8, 2024

In the comments, Dominick shared one of the best single frames from the sequence, which also captivated users. The post sparked widespread fascination on social media, with users praising the stunning view from space. One user commented, “We saw the same auroras from Earth last night,” while another speculated, "It seems the colours correlate with altitude — green at low, red at high. Is that correct?"

Peering out a Dragon Endeavor window that frames red and green aurora streaming by Dragon Freedom docked to the front of the International Space Station.When Crew-9 arrived I moved out of my crew quarters on the ISS to make room for @AstroHague. I now sleep in Dragon Endeavor pic.twitter.com/34XfeLXpcH Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) October 7, 2024

Dominick’s awe-inspiring footage offers a unique glimpse into the celestial beauty of auroras, leaving viewers on Earth and in space in awe.