Scientists can see auroras on Earth’s sunlit side by observing their ultraviolet emissions from space, where sunlight does not drown them out the way it does in visible-light views from the ground. The auroral oval—the ring of activity around the polar region—can extend across both the dayside and nightside. The footage highlighted by ESA was captured on July 24, 2026, by the ultraviolet aurora imager aboard the SMILE spacecraft.
What are daytime auroras?
“Daytime auroras” describes auroral activity on the side of Earth facing the Sun, not a different kind of aurora. Auroras are not confined to darkness: activity can extend around the north polar region on both the dayside and nightside. From the ground, the dayside glow is ordinarily hard to see in visible light because sunlight is much brighter.
SMILE’s ultraviolet aurora imager, or UVI, observes auroral emissions in ultraviolet light from space. That lets it capture the sunlit portion of the auroral oval without relying on a dark sky visible to a ground observer.
What does the Oct. 2, 2026, space photo feature show?
Space.com’s Oct. 2 feature presents an ultraviolet view of auroral activity around the North Pole. The image and footage are spacecraft-instrument observations, not an ordinary visible-light photograph and not a forecast that people will see auroras in daylight.
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There are two dates to keep distinct: ESA says the UVI footage it highlighted was captured on July 24, 2026, about two weeks after the instrument was switched on. The Space.com feature also captions a separate still image dated Aug. 2, 2026; that still is not the July 24 footage.
ESA describes UVI as the first camera since 2008 to capture the complete northern auroral ring in ultraviolet light. A view of the oval as a whole can help researchers examine how auroral activity relates to conditions in Earth’s magnetic environment and the solar wind.
How does SMILE study auroras and the solar wind?
SMILE stands for Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer. It is a joint mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), designed to study how Earth responds to the solar wind—the stream of particles flowing from the Sun.
ESA says the July 24 auroral activity followed a disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field caused by a rush of solar-wind particles. SMILE carries four science instruments that examine different parts of the interaction:
| Instrument | What it observes or measures |
|---|---|
| Ultraviolet aurora imager (UVI) | Ultraviolet auroral emissions, including activity around the polar region. |
| Soft X-ray imager (SXI) | Soft X-rays associated with the interaction between the solar wind and Earth’s magnetosphere. |
| Magnetometer (MAG) | Magnetic fields. |
| Light ion analyser (LIA) | Light ions. |
Together, the instruments are intended to help scientists investigate solar activity, Earth’s magnetic field, auroras, geomagnetic storms and space weather, including potential effects on electronic infrastructure on and around Earth.
What does the 45-hour figure mean?
ESA says UVI can record auroras for 45 hours at a time; Space.com likewise describes continuous observation for up to 45 hours. This is an instrument capability, not the length of the July 24 clip or proof that the same aurora persisted for that long.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where was SMILE in its mission in 2026?
ESA reports that SMILE launched on May 19, 2026, reached its target science orbit on June 20, and was declared ready for science operations on Sept. 23. Those milestones describe the mission’s overall readiness, not the status of every instrument in every operating mode.
In a Sept. 30 update, ESA said SXI had taken initial calibration images but still showed excess stray light when pointed toward Earth, and that adjustments were underway. The auroral view discussed here comes from UVI; it should not be taken as evidence that SXI’s tuning issue had already been resolved.
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Sources
- European Space Agency: SMILE mission and instrument updates
- Space.com: “Earth’s hidden daytime auroras revealed from space | Space photo of the day for Oct. 2, 2026”
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