Science & Tech · Space · 2 hrs ago
NASA astronaut photographs auroras from the ISS with an iPhone
NASA astronaut Anil Menon photographed auroras from the International Space Station on Oct.
10 using an iPhone.
The image shows pink, purple and red lights above Earth's night side, with city lights below and stars near the station.
Several coronal mass ejections triggered geomagnetic storms over the weekend, including storms rated as strong as G3.
During these storms, charged particles travel along Earth's magnetic field toward the polar regions and collide with gases high in the atmosphere, producing light.
The aurora's colors come from different gases at different heights: nitrogen produces much of the blue-purple light, while oxygen creates the red.
The photo shows a smartphone can capture auroras from orbit, rather than relying on the Nikon cameras astronauts sometimes use for Earth images.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon photographed auroras over Earth from the International Space Station on Oct. 10.
He used an iPhone camera to capture the northern lights over Earth’s night side.
The image shows pink, purple and red auroras above city lights, with the ISS and visiting spacecraft in view.
The auroras appeared during heightened geomagnetic activity after several coronal mass ejections struck Earth’s magnetic field.
- Who
- NASA astronaut Anil Menon.
- What
- He photographed auroras from the ISS using an iPhone camera.
- When
- Oct. 10. The image was featured by Space.com on Oct. 13, 2026.
- Where
- Aboard the International Space Station, above Earth’s night side.
- Why
- The auroras occurred during heightened geomagnetic activity after several coronal mass ejections struck Earth’s magnetic field.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Menon photographed auroras from the ISS using an iPhone camera.
Menon posted a video of the aurora to X.
Space.com featured the photograph as its space photo of the day.
- Photographer
- Anil Menon
- Camera
- iPhone
- Location
- International Space Station
- Photo date
- Oct. 10
- Aurora colors
- Pink, purple and red
- Space.com publication date
- Oct. 13, 2026
What people are saying
Flying through is rare and amazing,
You can see the lights on the outside of [the] station reflecting back like Christmas LEDs. It's definitely more immersive.
Posts on X
Last night. iPhone.
Tonight’s amazing aurora after significant solar activity! As seen from station.
Sources
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