Auroras are incredibly beautiful atmospheric events that occur when solar particles ejected by the Sun interact with our planet’s protective barrier. And while they’re breathtaking from below, they’re even moreso from above.
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00:00Auroras are incredibly beautiful atmospheric events that occur when solar particles ejected
00:08by the Sun interact with our planet's protective barrier.
00:11They are effectively magnetic storms that ignite the sky in a gorgeous array of colors,
00:16an array that from the ground is many times a once in a lifetime sight for most.
00:20However, this is an even rarer viewpoint, one that was actually captured from above
00:25the aurora itself.
00:26This video is captured by NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station.
00:31Currently our Sun is at its maximum, the apex of its 11-year solar cycle, where its surface
00:36activity is at its most intense.
00:39During this period, our solar system's central star will exhibit more frequent and more intense
00:43coronal mass ejections.
00:44These eruptions of plasma are jettisoned out into the cosmos, sending charged particles
00:49into nearby space.
00:50If that ejection happens to occur in our direction, that's when we get geomagnetic storms that
00:55result in these wild, colorful cosmic shows.
00:58Auroras usually occur at altitudes of around 60 miles, with the ISS orbiting around 200
01:04miles above that.