A massive geomagnetic storm that hit Earth last night resulted in a stunning display of solar explosions and dazzling Northern Lights.
The category four storm -- the second-highest severity level of five -- was caused by a huge solar flare. The lights themselves, triggered by interactions between Earth's magnetic field and charged particles from the Sun, were dramatic; astronaut Scott Kelly captured a shot of the haunting red and green-tinged aurora from his vantage point onboard the ISS.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I've never seen this before- red #aurora. Spectacular! #YearInSpace pic.twitter.com/j2DVejt974
— Scott Kelly (@StationCDRKelly) June 22, 2015</blockquote>
However, similarly impressive views of the celestial light show were also snapped from Earth, with especially vivid glimpses caught in areas across North America and northern parts of Europe with minimum light pollution.
The last aurora of this size happened back in March, when the storm's spectacular displays were visible as far south of the globe as New Mexico.
Watch the video below to see the latest aurora glowing eerily over Sydney's Bilgola Beach.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
