# Purple haze aurora captured from space

> NASA astronaut Jessica Meir photographed a stunning aurora from the ISS, showing the northern lights dancing across Earth's curved horizon.
- Title: Purple haze aurora captured from space · Digital Camera World
- Summary: NASA astronaut Jessica Meir photographed a stunning aurora from the ISS, showing the northern lights dancing across Earth's curved horizon. Auroras look far…
- Keywords: jessica meir, nasa, international space station, aurora photography, astrophotography, nikon z9, earth curvature, kyrgyzstan, Purple, haze, aurora, captured
- Source: Digital Camera World — https://digitalcameraworld.com/photography/astrophotography/excuse-me-while-i-snap-the-sky-nasa-astronauts-purple-haze-photograph-of-aurora-kissing-the-curvature-of-the-earth-was-taken-from-the-iss-and-is-simply-jaw-dropping
- Published: 2026-09-17T09:20:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: jessica meir, nasa, international space station, aurora photography, astrophotography, nikon z9, earth curvature, kyrgyzstan
## Astronaut captures purple aurora from orbit
Jessica Meir photographed a stunning aurora from the International Space Station at 255 miles altitude above Kyrgyzstan using a Nikon Z9 and Zeiss 15mm lens.
## The purple haze inspiration
NASA titled the image 'Purple Haze Aurora' after Jimi Hendrix's song, which was itself inspired by Philip José Farmer's science-fiction novella about a cyclical purple haze that transforms a planet.
## Multi-shot stacking reveals star trails
Meir combined multiple exposures to create star trail images showing 30-second long exposures, satellite arrays, and the Moon rising, evoking NASA's Artemis ambitions.
## Auroras look better through your lens
Auroras appear far less vibrant to the naked eye than they do in photographs, so don't dismiss a faint display until you've seen it through your camera.

> auroras are less vibrant when viewed by the naked eye, so don't be put off by an unspectacular display until you've seen it through the lens of your camera.
## Shoot auroras with manual settings
Switch to manual mode and use a wide aperture to maximize light. Start with a 10-second exposure and adjust ISO to balance brightness without introducing motion blur.
## Phone cameras can capture auroras too
While serious astrophotographers prefer manual mode, it's entirely possible to photograph auroras using just a smartphone camera.
## Key takeaway

Auroras look far more vibrant through a camera lens than to the naked eye, whether you're viewing from Earth or from 255 miles up in space.