Lightning is one in every of Earth’s most spectacular phenomena. The sudden discharges of superheated plasma happen even in seemingly sunny situations, rip aside air molecules, and may simply span a whole lot of miles. However whereas there may be nonetheless rather a lot to study lightning from our perspective right here on Earth, there’s additionally a lot to glean by observing it from excessive above. And at about 250 miles above the planet, there are few higher vantage factors than aboard the Worldwide House Station (ISS).
NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers proved this simply final summer season. On July 1, 2025 the previous ISS crew member documented a dramatic have a look at lightning over the town of Milan, Italy. The brilliantly blue bolt may be seen illuminating the within of a storm cloud above the historic metropolis, however glimpses like these can go far past merely illustrating lightning’s grandeur.
“Storm observations from [the] area station assist scientists research Earth’s higher environment, which may enhance climate fashions and shield communication programs and plane,” NASA defined in a weblog publish on January seventh.
Photos just like the one captured by Ayers aren’t essentially uncommon occurrences. In line with NASA, ISS crew members routinely {photograph} Earth from orbit to focus on how meteorological occasions and human exercise change the planet’s floor. Visible knowledge additionally assist scientists assess pure catastrophe impacts, enhance response efforts, and higher perceive the Earth’s dynamic and consistently altering climate patterns.
Analyzing lightning may also help in saving each human and plant lives . These electrical discharges are instantly answerable for killing as many as 320 million particular person bushes yearly. Whereas many of those solely doom the tree itself, others can simply instigate lethal and damaging wildfires. So whereas Ayers snapped her image distant from lightning’s direct results, the photograph can nonetheless assist researchers higher perceive these fascinating and highly effective occurrences.
