A Russian astronaut recorded a northern lights seen from space in a video that surprised millions.
This revealed the magnitude of the most intense magnetic storm -or solar- recorded in at least two decades, which occurred in mid-January 2026.
The phenomenon displayed extraordinary colors visible from the International Space Station (ISS), from where astronaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov captured the images.
There, the northern lights seen from space showed pink, green, red, and yellow hues that “danced” in the sky as the station moved along its orbit.
The northern lights from space, a unique perspective
The video allowed viewers to observe how the northern lights in space displayed their light show around the station.
“The crew of the International Space Station felt like they were floating in the middle of the phenomenon,” wrote Kud-Sverchkov on his Telegram channel.
As the ISS advanced, the aurora began to decrease in size, giving way to the visibility of the illuminated lights of different countries around the world, according to NASA.
This perspective offered a privileged view of the planet from orbit.
The science behind the colors
The astronaut explained the technical details of the observed phenomenon. According to Kud-Sverchkov, the green glow comes from oxygen atoms at about 100 kilometers altitude.
Meanwhile, the red glow originates between 300 and 400 kilometers altitude.
Red auroras are less frequent because the upper layers and less dense atmosphere require more energy to produce luminescence.
But the recording of this northern lights from space allowed for the documentation of both colors simultaneously.
Specialists noted that the magnetic storm recorded on this occasion is considered the most intense in at least two decades.
This exceptional intensity allowed for northern lights with intense colors to be observed in various regions of the world where they are not normally visible.
How northern lights are formed
Northern lights are formed when particles emitted by the sun collide with Earth’s magnetic field.
These particles are drawn by the magnetosphere towards the poles, and as they pass, they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms producing flashes of light.
Solar activity causes the sun to constantly emit these particles, flares, and sunspots. This plasma travels from the sun through space via the solar wind.
During solar storms, strong displays of auroras are formed by large groups of solar particles, or coronal mass ejections (CME).
Northern lights involve several key components:
- Cosmic radiation: charged particles colliding with Earth’s atmosphere
- Magnetosphere: magnetic field that draws particles towards the poles
- Oxygen and nitrogen: atmospheric atoms that emit light when impacted
- Variable altitude: different colors are produced at different heights
- Solar wind: carries plasma from the sun to Earth
