Lightning is one of the most impressive phenomena on Earth. Sudden bursts of superheated plasma occur. even in seemingly sunny conditions, tear apart air moleculesand can easily span hundreds of miles. But although there is still a lot to learn lightning From our perspective here on Earth, there is a lot to be learned from observing it from above. And at an altitude of about 250 miles above the planet, there are few things better than being on board a ship. International Space Station (ISS).
NASA astronaut Nicole Ayers proved this last summer. On July 1, 2025, a former ISS crew member captured a spectacular sight of lightning over the city of Milan, Italy. A bright blue flash can be seen illuminating the interior of a thundercloud over a historic city, but such glimpses can go far beyond simply illustrating the majesty of lightning.
“Storm Observations [the] The space station helps scientists study Earth's upper atmosphere, which could improve weather patterns and protect communications systems and aircraft.” – NASA explained in blog post January 7.
Images like Ayers's aren't necessarily a rare occurrence. According to NASA, ISS crew members regularly photograph Earth from orbit to highlight how meteorological events and human activities are changing the planet's surface. Visual data also helps scientists assess the impact of natural disasters, improve responses, and better understand Earth's dynamic and ever-changing weather patterns.
Lightning analysis can also help save lives and plants. These electrical discharges are directly responsible for up to 320 million individual trees die every year. While many of them only doom the tree itself, others can easily cause deadly and destructive consequences. forest fires. So even though Ayers took her photograph away from the direct effects of lightning, the photography can still help researchers better understand these fascinating and powerful phenomena.
