Amazing aurorae: NASA films scintillating light show in 4K from the International Space Station

Seeing the Aurora Borealis (or the Aurora Australis) from Earth is already spectacular enough, but seeing it from space? That's a very different experience, and one which NASA provides us with in a new ultra-high definition time-lapse video.

The images used to create the video below were shot from the International Space Station and show both the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis dancing across Earth's upper atmosphere. From the video's description, aurorae "occur when electrically charged electrons and protons in the Earth's magnetic field collide with neutral atoms in the upper atmosphere."

To fully appreciate the beauty of the aurorae, be sure to watch the video below in full-screen mode, and (if your monitor is suitably-equipped) at 4K resolution. It's truly spectacular.

Not only does NASA's video provide a unique look at aurorae from space, but it also offers up some really neat views of Earth from around 250 miles away. If you're interested in learning how to shoot aurorae (albeit from the ground), check out my article from 2014.

(Seen via Fstoppers)