Published 16:07 IST, July 22nd 2020
NASA astronaut shares mesmerizing video of lightning from space | Watch
NASA astronaut Bob Behnken shared a ‘mesmerizing’ video clip of lightning from the International Space Station (ISS), providing a unique angle of the phenomenon
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NASA astronaut Bob Behnken shared a ‘mesmerizing’ video clip of lightning from the International Space Station (ISS), providing a unique angle of the naturally occurring electrostatic discharge. The nine seconds long video captured from space shows violet fringes between dense cloud.
Lightning from above. The violet fringes are mesmerizing. pic.twitter.com/eLCGMTbfTY
— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) July 21, 2020
Behnken, who flew in the Dragon Crew spacecraft along with another NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, shared the video from his official Twitter handle. The video has garnered over 72k views within a few hours and social media thanked Behnken for sharing the clip. Former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that watching lightning from orbit was his all-time favourite phenomenon. Check out some of the comments:
Lightning viewed from orbit was my all-time favorite phenomenon! Like watching a great light show. https://t.co/5rqht3jC9k
— Charles Bolden (@cboldenjr) July 22, 2020
I've loved thunderstorms since I was a small child. I would watch from the window, and cry when they stopped!
— Just Steve (@tankslappa) July 21, 2020
I've been lucky enough to see some amazing storms, including experiencing a ground strike less than a mile away (bit too close TBH!), but the view from space beats all!
You guys win every time for the coolest picture! Thank you for providing a bright spot in our day.
— Jennifer Brandt (@jbrandt71) July 22, 2020
Spacewalk outside ISS
Earlier this month, astronauts Chris Cassidy and Behnken went outside the ISS on for their second spacewalk as the duo swapped station batteries ahead of the Independence Day weekend. They upgraded power systems on the station, replacing ageing nickel-hydrogen (NiH2) batteries with new lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries.
NASA shared the video on its official Twitter account in which the duo can be seen working on the upgrade. Cassidy also shared the pictures from ISS, showing the spectacular view below his feet. Behnken shared the image of a sunset, saying they set the camera to automatically take shots every few seconds during the spacewalks. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine announced last week that the space agency is targeting August 1 as departure date of SpaceX's Dragon capsule and splashdown is targeted for August 2.
16:07 IST, July 22nd 2020