Auroras Over Earth: Amazing Northern Lights Photos from Space

The Aurora Australis or Southern Lights, photographed by one of the Expedition 37 crew members on the International Space Station as the orbital complex flew over Tasmania on Oct. 30, 2013.

The Expedition 32 crew onboard the International Space Station, flying an altitude of approximately 240 miles, recorded a series of images of Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, on July 15, 2012.

This picture, recorded by one of the Expedition 31 crew members aboard the International Space Station, features Aurora Australis with star streaks while the vehicle was over the South Pacific Ocean. Image taken on May 22, 2012.

Aurora Australis, seen at right on Earth's horizon, and daybreak (left) highlight this photograph taken by one of the Expedition 30 crew members on March 6, 2012 aboard the International Space Station.

The northern lights are a spectacular night sky phenomenon when viewed from Earth, but from space they transform into something truly amazing.

See amazing photos of the Earth's auroras as seen by astronauts on the International Space Station in these images released by NASA.

You can see the original NASA aurora gallery here.

Greenland Aurora Borealis Dragon's head

A dragon's head appears on the horizon as the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) dance across the night sky making magical shapes . 

The mythical creature formed in swathes of green light as particles bombard the Earth's atmosphere above the Arctic. 

Picture: Juan Carlos Casado/Barcroft

Aurora Borealis: Amazing Auroramax Photos of 2013

Credit: Auroramax

Canada's automated aurora camera took this photo on March 17, 2013. 

"AURORAMAX GALLERY • Latest photo of aurora borealis above Yellowknife, NWT taken at 03:13 MDT on March 17, 2013." 

[See the full photo gallery]

SOHO Captures CME: Sun Eruption Supercharges Northern Lights Displays

The ESA and NASA Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) captured these images of the sun spitting out a coronal mass ejection (CME) on March 15, 2013, from 3:24 to 4:00 a.m. EDT. 

CREDIT: ESA/NASA/SOHO

A massive eruption on the sun Friday (March 15) unleashed a wave of intense solar particles at Earth that may spark a geomagnetic storm and boost weekend aurora displays.

The Earth-directed solar storm occurred Friday at 2:54 a.m. EDT (0654 GMT) in what astronomers call a coronal mass ejection — or CME — a sun eruption that can release billions of tons of solar material into space.

The particles typically take between one and three days to reach Earth, where they can pose a hazard to satellites and electronic systems in orbit and on the planet's surface, NASA officials said in a statement.

The solar particles from the Friday eruption were expected to reach Earth today (March 17).

"High-latitude and possibly even middle-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras this weekend," the website Spaceweather.com, which tracks space weather and stargazing events, said in a weekend alert.

The Friday sun eruption sent a wave of solar particles streaking toward Earth at about 900 miles per second, according to observations by NASA and European spacecraft.

That is the equivalent of a mind-boggling about 3.2 million miles per hour (5.2 million km/h).

According to NASA, this "is a fairly fast speed for CMEs. Historically, CMEs at this speed have caused mild to moderate effects at Earth."

The solar eruption should not pose a threat to satellites and spacecraft around Earth, but it may pass NASA's Messenger spacecraft orbiting Mercury and the infrared Spitzer Space Telescope, agency officials said. NASA alerted the mission operation centers for both missions.

"There is, however, only minor particle radiation associated with this event, which is what would normally concern operators of interplanetary spacecraft since the particles can trip on board computer electronics," NASA officials said.

An alert by the Space Weather Prediction Center operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the Earth's geomagnetic field could be at "unsettled to major storm levels" once the CME particles reached Earth Sunday.

There was a 70 percent chance of a geomagnetic storm today, the Spaceweather.com alert added.