I’ve still never seen aurora from below, but up here, it’s a frequent show. Last week’s was especially good. See if you can spot Houston, Florida, and the northern lights all in one frame, before we head out across the Gulf and some great lightning storms over South America at… pic.twitter.com/THqX83wNXL
— Zena Cardman (@zenanaut) November 17, 2025
Being an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) comes with a lot of work and sacrifices. But at the same time, it’s undoubtedly one of the coolest and most coveted jobs out there. One of its perks is obviously the unbeatable views of Earth from above. Luckily, many of these astronauts share their amazing point of view, and the latest one to do so is Zena Cardman; she captured the aurora shining above the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and South America.
The 51-second clip posted online by Cardman captures the green and pink shades of aurora lights floating above the Earth’s surface, as seen from 250 miles above the ground. The ISS, which travels at 17,500 miles per hour, was above south central United States when Cardman started recording. It then moved southwest, allowing the astronaut to capture the glow of the big cities along the Gulf Coast. As the ISS moves, the Caribbean and the Northeastern tip of South America come into view when the day breaks above this region.
“I’ve still never seen aurora from below, but up here, it’s a frequent show,” Cardman wrote on X. “Last week’s was especially good. See if you can spot Houston, Florida, and the Northern Lights all in one frame, before we head out across the Gulf and some great lightning storms over South America at sunrise.”
Cardman, who has been at the ISS for over 110 days, has shared other insightful and awe-inspiring images of her time in space. This includes the lunar eclipse that took place in September, which presented a challenge due to the ISS not having any up-facing windows. She also captured the aurora over the South Pacific shortly after her arrival, making sure to thank fellow astronaut Nichole Ayers for her advice on how to shoot a great time-lapse video.
To stay up to date with the astronaut’s adventures aboard the ISS, you can follow Cardman on X and Instagram.
Sources: Astronaut Captures Spectacular Aurora Lights Dancing Above the United States
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