NASA Astronaut's Viral Video Of Auroras From Space Leaves Internet Divided

NASA astronaut Don Pettit has shared a breathtaking video of the vibrant green auroras from the International Space Station (ISS). The nine-second video, shared on X, on January 6, shows the green glow of the auroras, caused by the interaction of the charged particles from the Sun with the Earth's magnetic field. "Flying over aurora; intensely green," Pettit said.

Flying over aurora; intensely green. pic.twitter.com/leUufKFnBB

— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) January 6, 2025

The stunning video gained massive attention on social media but also left people wondering if it was created with artificial intelligence (AI).

"Oh my goodness wow," a person wrote. "Awesome as always, I need to ask, does it have any effect on your equipment?" added another.

Oh my goodness wow

— Jack Beyer (@thejackbeyer) January 6, 2025

Awesome as always, I need to ask does it have any affect on your equipment?

— Mani (@opensaysmani) January 6, 2025

"The aurora's green glow looks unreal from above. Pure magic!" read another comment.

the aurora's green glow looks unreal from above. pure magic!

— Grow (@GrowTreeswMe) January 6, 2025

Some questioned the authenticity of the video.

"Intensely fake," remarked a person.

Intensely fake!

— Billy Zig (@BillyZigouras) January 6, 2025

Another wrote, "lazy cgi."

lazy cgi lols

— Joe (@clevernameer) January 7, 2025

According to NASA, Don Pettit was launched to the International Space Station on September 11, 2024, aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft. He was joined by cosmonauts Alexey Ovchinin and Ivan Vagner. 

He is serving as a flight engineer and member of the Expedition 72 crew aboard the orbiting laboratory. Pettit is a veteran and has logged over 370 days in space and more than 13 spacewalk hours.

What are Auroras?

Auroras are ribbons of light that weave across the northern or southern polar regions of the planet. These are caused by magnetic storms triggered by solar activity like solar flares or coronal mass ejections. These are typically visible in high-latitude regions near the Arctic and the Antarctic.