The sight of an aurora—whether it be from the ground, up in the air, or even in space—is sure to give pause and conjure wonder. Over the years NASA has showcased hundreds of amazing photos of auroras taken by astronauts in space, scientists on the ground, and from wonderful contributors around the globe.

Below, in no particular order, you will find the 33 best aurora photos NASA has ever featured. If you want to learn more about any of the photos taken below, click the link in the photo credit to visit the original post on NASA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An aurora (astralis in the south and borealis in the north) is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere (thermosphere). The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind and, on Earth, are directed by the Earth’s magnetic field into the atmosphere. [source]