Breathtaking Image Of Northern Lights Spotted From Space Station

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station captured an image of an amazing Northern Lights. The image was originally taken on February 2012 and the NASA's Earth Observatory just recently shared and released the stunning photo. They are overwhelming and seen as an atmospheric phenomenon.

#NorthernLights Glow in Breathtaking Image from #Space Station https://t.co/KzeyObexHK #fantasy pic.twitter.com/A1q1XM7lJN

— Rebecca E. Neely (@Crossing_Realms) August 11, 2016

Nothing much. Just the Northern Lights from space. #NorthernLights #Space pic.twitter.com/b44aEfhN4n — Night Hawk Foods (@NightHawkFoods) August 3, 2016

The Northern Lights are viewed from the International Space and flew over Quebec, Canada. The astronaut captures the bright lines of light from the auroras as the orbiting outpost passed overhead. The image also displays a golden halo, which is also known as airglow, around the rest of the planet. Airglow resulted from the interaction between the Earth's atmosphere and the sun's radiation, according to Live Science.

Ring of Fire. A visualisation by Honeywell Technology Solutions of the Northern Lights from space pic.twitter.com/0ThDGf1jHx

— Dilara (@DilaraSimal_) July 25, 2016

Northern Lights or also known as Aurora Borealis or polar lights are natural lights that can be seen in the sky in the high latitude. They are caused by the impact of charged particles in both magnetospheric plasma and solar wind. This is in the form of electrons and protons precipitating them into the upper atmosphere and their energy is lost too. The results of these ionization and excitation of atmospheric constituents are lights of different colors and complexity.

In the image, you will also see the locations of some northern settlements. These include Labrador City and Goose Bay, which are situated in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. They are labeled in the newly released image. There is also a visibility of some features of the Quebec landscape 237 miles (382 kilometers) below. A massive crater, which measures 37 miles (60 km) across. It is in the lower third of the photograph.