Rare View of Northern Lights From Outer Space Shows Spectacular Green, Purple Ripples [Watch]

Aurora borealis is considered the most breathtaking phenomenon one can see on Earth. Unfortunately, northern lights are not visible in all areas of the world but were spotted in space.

Northern Lights in Space

To highlight the aurora's unique green and purple waves from the opposite side, content creator @wonderofscience made a timelapse using images from NASA's Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit on the International Space Station, Newsweek reported.

Strong purple light pillars can be seen in the backdrop of the video setting up into space, while the green lights can be seen snaking across the northern hemisphere.

The northern lights, sometimes called the aurora borealis, are an atmospheric occurrence brought on by solar surface activity.

Vast clouds of electrically charged particles that span millions of kilometers into space are released into space when solar storms occur on the surface of our sun—eventually, some of these charged particles run into our globe.

The Earth's powerful magnetic field deflects most of these particles, but some are ultimately caught by the planet's magnetic field and move down towards the North and South Poles.

The atoms and molecules in the atmosphere are heated when these particles strike them, which eventually causes them to glow. In other words, the aurora happens when solar particles collide with atoms and molecules in our atmosphere.

Northern Lights Visible in US and Canada

On Sunday night, the spectacular light display lit the skies in Canada. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Predictions Center (SWPC), the gorgeous lights appeared after an intense G4-class geomagnetic storm hit the Earth's atmosphere.

The powerful solar storm caused the northern lights to sweep over the country. Following its discovery in North Carolina, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, California, and Oklahoma, people from around the country rushed to social media to submit magnificent images of the lights in their hometowns.

The residents were overjoyed to have seen the magnificent light display. Many people used Twitter to share their aurora borealis experiences.

Northern Lights Color Explained

The Aurora Borealis frequently resembles curtains of lights, though they can also take the form of arcs or spirals and trace the lines of the Earth's magnetic field. Most Northern Lights are green, but you'll occasionally notice a pink tint, according to Aurora Nights.

Strong displays may also feature red, violet, and white colors; aurora chasers frequently encounter these colors during Northern Lights excursions. The atmosphere of our planet is what gives all these colors their origin.

There are various layers of atmosphere, each serving a unique purpose. Because the troposphere has the most water, the region of the atmosphere is farthest from the sun and where we are located.

Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, and Carbon Dioxide are chemicals that make up our atmosphere. There are also other trace elements like water vapor. All of these compounds are present in our atmosphere in varied quantities.

The Earth's atmosphere contains a variety of gases, and when those gases are excited, they emit a variety of colors, according to science. When solar system-bound electrons strike oxygen, it emits the aurora's bright green and yellow hues (which are the most prevalent). While neon turns them orange, nitrogen generates blue, crimson, or occasionally pink hues.

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.