Astronauts on board the International Space Station took this picture of the Aurora Borealis on February 6, from about 240 miles above the Earth's surface. Part of the station's solar array is visible in the photo's upper-left. Aurora Borealis appear in the skies over high-latitude regions of Earth, the result of plasma ejected from the sun during solar storms. For a video explanation of how solar weather creates light shows here on Earth, and more photographs of recent Aurorae, check out The Atlantic's complete visual guide to the Northern Lights.
Below, recent Pictures of the Day:
Image: NASA.
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Rebecca J. Rosen is a senior editor at The Atlantic, where she oversees coverage of American constitutional law and government in the Battle for the Constitution series.