In 2015, astronauts aboard the International Space Station captured two stunning photos just minutes apart, showing the eye of tropical cyclone Bansi illuminated by lightning strikes as the storm raged over the Indian Ocean near Madagascar.
Cyclone Bansi reached named-storm status on January 11, 2015, and intensified to Category 4 with maximum winds of about 115 mph (185 km/h). It traveled from Madagascar into the Indian Ocean, made landfall in Mauritius, and eventually dissipated near Réunion.
On January 12, as the ISS passed over the cyclone, astronauts witnessed a rare sight: the eye of the storm lit up by lightning twice within minutes, with photos captured at 21:04:17 GMT and 21:05:53 GMT. Such clear images of lightning from space are rare due to cloud cover, making these moments particularly remarkable.
The second image also captured airglow—a faint, golden light above Earth’s curvature. Airglow, similar to an aurora, occurs when atmospheric gases are excited by charged particles and ultraviolet radiation from the sun, often seen during periods of high solar activity like the ongoing solar maximum.
These striking images offer a rare glimpse into the powerful forces at play within tropical storms, beautifully captured from the unique vantage point of space.
