Astronaut Captures Purple Lightning Flashing Through Clouds From International Space Station

Bright purple flashes of lightning can look striking from above the clouds. Astronaut Don Pettit has shared a view of the purple lightning flashing through clouds from the International Space Station.

In a post on X, Pettit wrote, "Nadir views from ISS of bright purple lightning flashing through clouds."

He said these thunderheads can reach heights of up to 50,000 feet, higher than most planes fly, making them best observable from orbit.

Check Out The Post Here:

Nadir views from ISS of bright purple lightning flashing through clouds. These thunderheads can be upwards of 50,000 feet, higher than most planes fly, and so are best observable from orbit! I used a Nikon Z9 at 1/1200th shutter speed and 120fps to optimize for lightning detail. pic.twitter.com/q2lBCTXezF

— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) August 21, 2026

Pettit said he used a Nikon Z9 camera with a shutter speed of 1/1200th and recorded at 120 frames per second to optimise the detail of the lightning.

The image offers a view of bright purple lightning flashing through towering clouds from an orbital perspective, highlighting the detail Pettit was able to capture from the ISS.

Social Media Reaction

Social media users were amazed to see the view. 

One user commented, "This is beautiful."

Another user called it "Amazing."

"Just gorgeous," added a third user.