NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and ESA astronaut Tim Peake shared a series of aurora photographs taken from the International Space Station on Jan. 20, 2016. Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) wrote, "#goodmorning #aurora and the Pacific Northwest! #YearInSpace" and Peake (@astro_timpeake) followed up with, "Getting a photo masterclass from @StationCDRKelly – magical #aurora"
The dancing lights of the aurora provide spectacular views on the ground, but also capture the imagination of scientists who study incoming energy and particles from the sun. Aurora are one effect of such energetic particles, which can speed out from the sun both in a steady stream called the solar wind and due to giant eruptions known as coronal mass ejections or CMEs.
Image Credit: ESA/NASA
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On February 16, 2016, Kelly spotted the emerald hue of northwest Iran’s Lake Urmia, the country’s most famous lake. It has shrunk dramatically in recent decades, down 90 percent from its volume in the 1970s.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
While soaring over the East Indian Ocean on August 9, 2015, Kelly captured Earth, the International Space Station, and the Milky Way galaxy in one shot. “You’re old, dusty, gassy and warped,” he wrote of our galaxy. “But beautiful.”
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On October 12, 2015, Kelly took a 17-picture series across eastern Australia, snapping this one—the 11th—of Australia’s Diamantina River. The river runs through the Great Artesian Basin, one of the world’s largest and deepest aquifers.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On June 15, 2015, Kelly spotted Tropical Storm Bill in the Gulf of Mexico as it neared the coast of Texas. The storm dropped heavy rains on Texas and much of the midwestern United States.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On January 12, 2016, Kelly flew over snow-covered agricultural plots in Novopersianovka, in southeast Russia.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
Kelly tweeted this photo twice: once on September 16, 2015, along with other #EarthArt photos, and earlier on April 15, 2015. Volunteer geotaggers peg the scene to northwest China, but its exact location is hard to identify.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On December 6, 2015, Kelly spotted the launch of Orbital ATK’s Cygnus cargo spacecraft, which launched from Florida’s Cape Canaveral. It successfully docked on December 9 with more than 7,000 pounds (3,175kg) of supplies.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On February 22, 2016, Kelly snapped this photo of the southern Sahara in Egypt’s southwest Qesm Al Wahat Ad Dakhlah district, near the border with Libya.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On June 22, 2015, Kelly captured this dramatic scene of South Africa at night while flying over neighbouring Botswana. The red glow is caused by oxygen atoms releasing energy after collisions with high-energy space particles.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On January 9, 2016, Kelly spotted La’nga Co, a saltwater lake in western Tibet just north of the China-India border. The lake holds no fish and no aquatic plants, and its Sanskrit name (Rakshas Tal) literally means “lake of the demon.”
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On July 9, 2015, Kelly stood 250 miles (400km) above the Bahamas in the International Space Station’s Cupola observation module.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
Kelly has shown his fondness for the Bahamas, snapping at least 21 shots of the island country from the ISS. The dreamy swirls shown here were photographed on January 19, 2016.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On January 26, 2016, Kelly captured this night photograph of Italy and the Alps. But the bright lights are far from spotless: More than 80 percent of Italy’s power comes from greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuels.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
On February 8, 2016, Kelly flew over Shanghai, China, at night and snapped this memorable photo. The black swirl across the photo’s center is the Huangpu River, the city’s main shipping artery.
Photograph by Scott Kelly, NASA
