Earth briefly looked like a scene from a science-fiction film after an astronaut aboard the International Space Station shared breathtaking footage of auroras flowing across the planet’s horizon. Captured from roughly 400 kilometers above the surface, the video shows glowing rivers of green and red light sliding along Earth’s edge, unfiltered and untouched by visual effects.

The footage was recorded on January 11, 2026, by astronaut Kimiya Yui while the ISS orbited over the night side of the planet. From space, the auroras appear not as distant curtains in the sky, but as vast, luminous structures wrapping around Earth itself. The motion is fluid and continuous, revealing the scale and intensity of forces shaping the planet’s upper atmosphere.

The display was triggered by a geomagnetic storm caused by a burst of solar energy released from the Sun days earlier. When charged particles from this solar event reached Earth, they interacted directly with the planet’s magnetic field, producing intensified auroral activity visible both from orbit and across large portions of the Northern Hemisphere.

From the ISS perspective, the science becomes visible in striking detail. Green hues emerge as energized oxygen atoms glow at altitudes between roughly 100 and 200 kilometers, while higher-altitude interactions produce deep red tones, often associated with nitrogen. From the ground, these layers blend together, but from space they appear as distinct bands aligned with Earth’s magnetic field.

The video highlights a perspective few humans will ever witness firsthand. While auroras are occasionally visible from the ground, astronauts see the phenomenon as a planetary-scale event — a direct visualization of the Sun’s influence on Earth. The footage serves as a reminder that our world is not isolated, but constantly shaped by cosmic forces far beyond its surface.

Seen from orbit, the auroras are not just lights in the sky. They are Earth itself, alive with motion, magnetism, and energy.