Education
22 Jul, 2025
Ronald Chavez
Astronaut Nichole “Vapor” Ayers has shared a mesmerising lightning sequence captured from aboard the International Space Station, offering a rare and electrifying view of a thunderstorm above Milan, Italy.
Posted on social media recently, the footage has taken the internet by storm — both for its beauty and its scientific value.
The video, originally spotlighted by fellow astronaut Col Anne McClain is a montage of still images taken at 120 frames per second, showing a storm in action high above Earth’s atmosphere. From orbit, these powerful lightning bursts resemble electric webs dancing over clouds, with the glow from Milan serving as a reference point on the ground.Hello Milan! If you guys haven’t seen the lightning sequence@AstroAnnimalposted a couple weeks ago, you should go check it out! Shots like these take quite a bit of planning and timing. This video is a sequence of still pictures taken at 120 frames per second.We have such apic.twitter.com/nCWEXN36jM— Nichole “Vapor” Ayers (@Astro_Ayers)July 18, 2025
Hello Milan! If you guys haven’t seen the lightning sequence@AstroAnnimalposted a couple weeks ago, you should go check it out! Shots like these take quite a bit of planning and timing. This video is a sequence of still pictures taken at 120 frames per second.We have such apic.twitter.com/nCWEXN36jM— Nichole “Vapor” Ayers (@Astro_Ayers)July 18, 2025
“We have such a unique view of lightning up here and we’ve been trying to capture as much as possible,” tweeted Ayers. “For these pictures, I got lucky that Milan was close by. It provides a gauge for just how big some of these storms and lightning flashes can be.”
Images like this aren’t just stunning to look at— they also help scientists better understand the formation, intensity, and frequency of lightning storms from a vantage point unreachable from the surface.
Since the International Space Station orbits Earth approximately every 90 minutes, astronauts onboard have the rare opportunity to observe weather phenomena from various parts of the globe in rapid succession.Lightning as seen from Earth. (Photo: Getty)Using high-speed cameras and low-light technology, they’re able to capture these brief but intense events in striking detail.Storms like the one over Milan are not uncommon, but seeing them from space — with the scale and structure of each bolt against a planetary backdrop — offers a whole new perspective.For those who haven’t seen it yet, the video is a must-watch for storm chasers and space fans alike.- EndsPublished By:Sibu Kumar TripathiPublished On:Jul 21, 2025
Using high-speed cameras and low-light technology, they’re able to capture these brief but intense events in striking detail.
Storms like the one over Milan are not uncommon, but seeing them from space — with the scale and structure of each bolt against a planetary backdrop — offers a whole new perspective.
For those who haven’t seen it yet, the video is a must-watch for storm chasers and space fans alike.- EndsPublished By:Sibu Kumar TripathiPublished On:Jul 21, 2025