View auroras from SPACE: Astronauts on the International Space Station share stunning images of ‘Earth’s airglow’ as they orbit the Earth more than 400 kilometers above the surface
- Auroras are created when cosmic rays interact with gases in the upper atmosphere and hang on the horizon
- Astronauts on the ISS shared images of the event as seen from space as they orbit the Earth
- The images were taken over different parts of the earth, including the North Atlantic Ocean, Romania and Russia
- The ship was circling about 263 miles above the surface when each image was taken
- Most images show a green ribbon of light hanging above the horizon and bright city lights below
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The Arctic Circle and regions of the Southern Hemisphere are considered the best places to view Earth’s auroras, but a team of astronauts found an even better place: space.
The crew of Expedition 64, currently living on the International Space Station, has captured some stunning images of the natural phenomenon as they orbited more than 400 kilometers above the surface.
The images were taken over different parts of our planet, including the North Atlantic Ocean, Romania and Russia, and show the stunning lights that hang over cities, oceans and other land areas.
Auroras, also referred to as ‘Earth’s airglow’, are caused by cosmic rays interacting with gases in the upper atmosphere, covering the horizon with electrically colored light.
NASA describes the event as a “spectacular sign that our planet is electrically connected to the sun.”
The crew of Expedition 64, currently living on the International Space Station, has captured some stunning images of the natural phenomenon as they orbited more than 400 kilometers above the surface. One of the photos, taken on January 18, was taken while the International Space Station (ISS) orbited the Earth 424 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean (photo)
The images were shared by astronauts to the Twitter account of the official International Space Station.
“The station’s orbit reaches a height of 51.6 ° above the equator and offers awe-inspiring views of the Earth’s aurora amid the city lights and twinkling stars,” the post reads.
One of the photos, taken Jan. 18, was taken as the International Space Station (ISS) orbited Earth 424 miles above the North Atlantic Ocean.
The photo shows the dark sea below with a ribbon of green light stretching along the horizon.
Auroras, also referred to as ‘Earth’s airglow’, are caused by cosmic rays interacting with gases in the upper atmosphere, covering the horizon with electrically colored light. This photo was taken while the ISS was over Romania. The crew captures the auroras hovering over Sweden and Finland
On January 13, expedition team 46 shared an image as they hovered over Kazakhstan in Russia, capturing the city’s bright lights at night and a curved ray of green aurora above it.
On the same day, the ISS moved over Romania to create another breathtaking view.
“The International Space Station orbited 263 miles above Romania when this photo was taken of the city lights of Sweden and Finland with an aurora above the Earth’s horizon,” the photo caption reads.
“The dark area between the two Scandinavian countries is the Baltic Sea.”
Auroras are also referred to as ‘polar lights’ because they are rarely visible outside 70 degrees north and south latitude.
Auroras are also referred to as ‘polar lights’ because they are rarely visible outside 70 degrees north and south latitude. Pictured is another photo taken 264 miles above Kazakhstan
However, one of the best photos was taken on January 7, showing the 74th supply ship hanging in the darkness, that is outer space, and below are the puffy white clouds in our atmosphere. And in the distance, the aurora australis can shine from the horizon
The stunning show takes place when energetic particles emerge from the sun, both in a steady stream called the solar wind, and through giant bursts known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
It may take two to three days for the particles to reach Earth, but when they do, the solar particles and magnetic fields cause the release of particles already trapped near Earth, which in turn trigger reactions in the upper atmosphere in which oxygen and nitrogen molecules release photons of light.
And this results in the Northern Lights and the Southern Lights.
On January 13, expedition crew 46 shared an image as they hovered over Kazakhstan in Russia, capturing the city’s bright lights at night and a curved beam of green auroras above it.
One of the best photos, however, was taken on January 7, showing the 74th supply ship hanging in the darkness, that is outer space, and below are the puffy white clouds in our atmosphere.
And in the distance, the aurora australis can shine from the horizon.
WHAT ARE AURORAS AND WHAT TRIGGER THE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL DISPLAYS?
The Northern Lights and Southern Lights are natural spectacles of light 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 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 Earth’s atmosphere
Usually the particles, also called solar storm, 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 pale green and pink are common.