WIRED
The billowing radiance of the northern and southern lights is among the most beautiful sights known to humanity – and that’s when seen from the ground. Imagine watching the lights from low-Earth orbit.
Through the International Space Station’s windows, 200 miles above Earth’s surface, the auroras borealis and australis dance across continents. They’re a regular treat for ISS astronauts who circuit the planet every few hours, passing frequently over Earth’s polar regions, where the auroras are strongest.
Only infrequently do the lights, created when solar particles collide with Earth’s magnetic field, drift to more median latitudes. One such show occurred last week after a large solar flare buffeted Earth with gusts of solar wind. In the United States, auroras glowed as far south as Maryland and Iowa, while in the southern hemisphere they could be seen above New Zealand.
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