Astronaut Thomas Pesquet Captured Stunning Ethereal Lightning From International Space Station

ISS Astronaut Snaps Photo of Rare Lightning Flash In Mission Alpha

The astronaut stationed on the International Orbit Station (ISS) has tweeted a snapshot of a rare lightning flash seen from space.

On Twitter, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet described the photograph as a "transient brilliant flash." Andreas Morgensen, a fellow ESA astronaut, "captured the first image of them from orbit!" said Pesquet.

According to CNET, the brief bright flash seen in the shot is made by upper-atmospheric lightning.

The hashtag #MissionAlpha appears after Pesquet's message. According to the ESA, Mission Alpha is Pesquet's second mission. Pesquet, along with three other astronauts, was re-launched to the ISS on April 23, 2021.

Aki Hoshide, Megan MacArthur, and Shane Kimbrough are the three astronauts. Kimbrough had previously served alongside Pesquet on the Proxima, Pesquet's first mission.

SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship carried the four astronauts into orbit.

The photograph by Pesquet is a single frame from a time-lapse video recorded from the station. The image would be stunning even if it didn't reveal the Earth's curvature and the glittering lights of Europe below. It's taken to the next level by capturing a transitory light event at its peak.

More Astronauts Taking Photos From Space, ISS

The astronauts onboard the International Orbit Station have been able to snap some amazing photographs from space due to its strategic placement.

Photographs of the aurora borealis taken by British astronaut Tim Peake and American astronaut Scott Kelly in 2016 serve as an example. Kelly took the picture in January of that year (per National Geographic), while Peake took another few months later (per Independent).

Astronauts also obtained images of an airliner flying over the Bahamas (per TMZ) and SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship.

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