What beats seeing eclipses from space? Try the northern and southern lights
Eclipses may be wondrous, but nothing beats seeing the northern and southern lights from space.
NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, who have been living on the International Space Station for six months, have found that the northern and southern lights surpass eclipses in visual splendor. During the recent solar eclipse, the station's position prevented them from witnessing totality, but they still observed a partial eclipse.
Meir expressed excitement for the upcoming lunar eclipse. The duo noted that the sun's recent period of high solar activity has made auroras more vivid and dramatic. A particularly intense solar burst produced a bright green aurora visible directly beneath the station, illuminating its exterior. Meir, the space station's commander, even performed John Philip Sousa's "The Stars and Stripes Forever" in space, recorded in advance of her journey.
She also enjoyed cooking in orbit, donning a space cat-themed apron while preparing station-grown vegetables. Hathaway, the space station's pilot, has found ample entertainment on the station, including weekend karaoke nights. The current crew consists of six astronauts from various nationalities, with a planned return to Earth via SpaceX in the coming days.
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