We all know the astronauts aboard the International Space Station have some of the best views. And thankfully, they like sharing those views with all of us stuck here down on earth!
Here's a unique view of the northern lights... or nature's own firework display! Astronauts Scott Kelly and Tim Peake shared their view of the display, which is also called aurora borealis. The natural light display happens when a burst of the sun's gas and magnetic field causes a solar wind-- which is the stream of energy specks from the sun. That stream hits the earth's atmosphere and there you go! Lights!
You can see the polar lights from the ground, but it's a very different view than what the astronauts witnessed. Peake called their view of the aurora "magical."
Instructional Links
Goverment Agency: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center: Aurora
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/aurora
Website: HowStuffWorks.Com: How Does the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) Work?
http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/question471.htm
Video: Illuminating the Northern Lights