Astronaut Anil Menon Shares How Fast An Aurora And Night Orbit Move In Space

An aurora may appear to move slowly across the night sky, but the speed of an orbit tells a different story. Astronaut Anil Menon has shared a comparison of time-lapse and real-time footage, highlighting the difference between how an aurora and a night orbit appear when viewed at different speeds.

In his post, Menon shared time-lapse shots showing a small aurora and a night orbit alongside real-time footage that has not been sped up. The comparison offers a different perspective on the scenes, showing how the same experience can look considerably different depending on how it is recorded.

Watch Video Here:

A comparison of our time lapse shots of a small aurora and a night orbit to real time footage that isn't sped up. Though it looks a lot slower, we are really going fast. 17500 mph fast. https://t.co/CWY2oGHov4

— Anil Menon (@astro_anil) November 8, 2026

Explaining the comparison, Menon pointed out that although the real-time footage looks much slower than the time-lapse shots, the actual speed remains remarkably high.

He highlighted the speed of the movement, writing, "Though it looks a lot slower, we are really going fast. 17,500 mph fast."

Through the comparison, Menon drew attention to the difference between the visual pace of the footage and the actual speed of the orbit. While the real-time recording may make the movement appear slow, he emphasised that it takes place at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour.