Planet Earth: Bright Purple Lightning in Clouds | International Space Station

Planet Earth: Bright Purple Lightning in Clouds | International Space Station

NASA Astronaut Don Pettit: " . . . ISS views of bright purple lightning flashing through clouds. Overhead observation of storms this large is best done from orbit, where we keep watch for rare spites and blue jets visible from above!"

NASA astronaut Don Pettit returned to Earth on April 19, 2025, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station. Pettit spent 220 days in space, earning him a total of 590 days in space over the course of his four spaceflights. He orbited the Earth 3,520 times, traveling 93.3 million miles in low-Earth orbit.

Follow Expedition 74:

https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/

Expedition 74 Crew

Station Commander: Mike Fincke (NASA)

JAXA Flight Engineer (Japan): Kimiya Yui

Roscosmos (Russia) Flight Engineers: Oleg Platonov, Sergey-Kud Sverchkov, Sergei Mikaev

NASA Flight Engineers: Zena Cardman, Chris Williams

Image Credit: NASA's Johnson Space Center/D. Pettit

Duration: 7 seconds

Release Date: Jan. 2, 2026

#NASA #Space #Astronomy #ISS #Science #Planets #Earth #Atmosphere #Weather #Clouds #Lightning #PurpleLightning #Astronauts #DonPettit #AstronautPhotography #UnitedStates #Japan #JAXA #Cosmonauts #Russia #Roscosmos #HumanSpaceflight #SpaceLaboratory #InternationalCooperation #Expedition71 #Expedition72 #STEM #Education #HD #Video