See the Northern Lights from SPACE: NASA astronaut aboard the ISS takes a BEAUTIFUL photo of the light display
This week, skygazers across the UK were dazzled by the Northern Lights, with the light shows reaching as far south as Cornwall.
But our photos of the auroras from here on Earth pale in comparison to a photo taken by an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Josh Cassada, who launched to the ISS in October, shared a beautiful photo of the Northern Lights on Twitter.
The image shows the edge of the ISS for a breathtaking view of green swirls dancing across the stars.
The photo spoke for itself, with Cassada captioning it “absolutely unreal” Twitter.
Josh Cassada, who launched to the ISS in October, shared a beautiful photo of the Northern Lights on Twitter
From their position on the ISS, astronauts are treated to a unique view of our planet that most people will never see.
The ISS orbits the Earth at an altitude of about 250 miles, which means that the space station makes about 16 trips around the Earth each day.
From their position on the ISS, astronauts are treated to a unique view of our planet that most people will never see. Pictured: Josh Cassada
Several impressed viewers commented on Cassada’s photo, with one calling it “one of the most beautiful photos I’ve ever seen.”
“Sooo best picture winner,” added another, with one replying, “well that just blew my socks off.”
While the Northern Lights are often visible from the Arctic and Antarctic Circles, they rarely grace the night sky further south.
However, stargazers as far south as Kent and Cornwall also experienced them this week.
The vibrant colors are the result of a burst of charged particles from the sun, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), interacting with Earth’s atmosphere.
When a CME’s charged particles react with the oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere, they emit green and red lights that appear as spirals, flickers and “curtains” in the sky.
If it’s really strong, these phenomena could be visible further away from the North and South Poles.
There were also sightings across southern England on Sunday and Monday evenings Northern Ireland, South Wales and Norfolk.
This was largely due to two CMEs, which erupted on February 24 and 25, respectively, and collided with Earth’s atmosphere two days later.
WHAT ARE AURORAS AND WHAT TRIGGERS THE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL DISPLAYS?
The Northern Lights and Southern Lights are natural light displays that are activated in our atmosphere and are also known as the ‘Auroras’.
There are two types of Aurora – Aurora Borealis, meaning “dawn of the north,” and Aurora Australis, “dawn of the south.”
The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
There are two types of Aurora – Aurora Borealis (file photo), meaning “dawn of the north,” and Aurora Australis, “dawn of the south.” The displays light up when electrically charged particles from the sun enter the Earth’s atmosphere
Usually called a solar storm, the particles are deflected by the Earth’s magnetic field.
But during stronger storms, they enter the atmosphere and collide with gas particles, including hydrogen and helium.
These collisions emit light. Auroral displays appear in many colors, although light green and pink are common.
