Lightning is one of Earth’s most impressive phenomena. The sudden discharges of superheated plasma occur even in seemingly sunny conditions, rip apart air molecules, and can easily span hundreds of miles. But while there is still a lot to learn about lightning from our perspective here on Earth, there’s also much to glean by observing it from high above. And at about 250 miles above the planet, there are few better vantage points than aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
NASA astronaut Nichole Ayers proved this just last summer. On July 1, 2025 the former ISS crew member documented a dramatic look at lightning over the city of Milan, Italy. The brilliantly blue bolt can be seen illuminating the inside of a storm cloud above the historic city, but glimpses like these can go far beyond simply illustrating lightning’s grandeur.
“Storm observations from [the] space station help scientists study Earth’s upper atmosphere, which can improve weather models and protect communication systems and aircraft,” NASA explained in a blog post on January 7th.
Images like the one captured by Ayers aren’t necessarily rare occurrences. According to NASA, ISS crew members routinely photograph Earth from orbit to highlight how meteorological events and human activity change the planet’s surface. Visual data also help scientists assess natural disaster impacts, improve response efforts, and better understand the Earth’s dynamic and constantly changing weather patterns.
Analyzing lightning can also aid in saving both human and plant lives . These electrical discharges are directly responsible for killing as many as 320 million individual trees every year. While many of these only doom the tree itself, others can easily instigate deadly and destructive wildfires. So while Ayers snapped her picture far away from lightning’s direct effects, the photo can still help researchers better understand these fascinating and powerful occurrences.
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