Air Force pilot captures stunning photos of northern lights from 70,000 feet

Author: CBS
Published: Updated:
Lt. Col. Ross Franquemont flies below the northern lights. LT. COL. ROSS FRANQUEMONT / U.S. AIR FORCE

When a pilot is jetting along at 500 mph and 70,000 feet above Earth, you might think their full attention is on flying. But in the case of U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ross Franquemont, multitasking is necessary.

Piloting a U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance plane over Canada last month, the 40-year-old was streaming across the sky when he realized the green light swirling around his plane and reflecting into his cockpit were the northern lights, which are created when electrically charged particles from the sun collide with atmospheric gases to create a dramatic collection of greens and pinks.

As an amateur photographer who carries his Nikon 750D and his kids’ stuffed animals in the cockpit, he had captured pretty pictures before. But he knew the aurora borealis, as the lights are also known, was a jaw dropper.

Lt. Col. Ross Franquemont flies below the northern lights. LT. COL. ROSS FRANQUEMONT / U.S. AIR FORCE

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