The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has released an ultra-high definition (UHD) timelapse video of aurora as seen from an astronaut’s perspective taken from the International Space Station, depicting, from a vantage point, the spectacular bands of ethereal and hazy light that pass across the night side of the Earth in northern and southern hemispheres.
Auroras, which appear mostly in pale green and pink color, are created when electrically-charged electrons and protons collide with neutral atoms in the upper atmosphere. This natural light display, predominantly seen in the high latitude, is called Aurora Borealis (or the Northern Lights), when it appears in northern hemisphere, and Aurora Australis (or the Southern Lights), when it appears in southern hemisphere.
Late last year, NASA partnered with Harmonic, an American technology company, to launch a non-commercial UHD TV channel to “showcase the breathtaking beauty and grandeur of space.” The newly released 4K video, as one of the first products of this partnership, was published on NASA’s YouTube channel on April 17.