A strong geomagnetic storm over the weekend allowed skygazers as far south as southern California to view the northern lights. But seeing them from the International Space Station 412 kilometers up is an even rarer experience. You’re looking down on what seems to be a thin, shimmering green blanket wrapped over the curvature of the Earth.
Matthew Dominick of NASA’s space-eye view reminds us that no matter how high the northern lights are, some things are even higher.
The green light that dominates the video appears when particles excited by the solar storms interact with oxygen at altitudes of 120 to 180 kilometers. Below 100 kilometers, particles stimulate nitrogen atoms to create the pink glow visible on the left-hand side of the video. Some even stronger reds begin to appear at altitudes above 200 kilometers.
The ISS is farther above those lights than the lights are above us.
