NASA shares breathtaking timelapse video of Earth at night from space | Watch

 

Video Credit: NASA, Gateway to Astronaut Photography, ISS Expedition 53; Music: The Low Seas (The 126ers)

NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) features a video capturing the Earth at night, offering a stunning view of our planet from space. The footage, recorded in 2017 by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), presents a compilation of timelapse sequences that showcase the serene beauty of our blue planet illuminated by city lights, natural phenomena, and celestial wonders.

The video begins with a breathtaking display of the aurora borealis - a mesmerizing natural light display that occurs in the polar regions of the Earth. Also known as the Northern Lights, the aurora borealis is a result of interactions between the Earth's magnetic field and charged particles from the Sun.

The green and red hues of the mesmerizing auroras spread across the night sky, creating an ethereal spectacle. The scene then transitions, tracking from the northwest to the southeast of North America, gradually moving towards the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida coast.

In the subsequent sequence, viewers are treated to a captivating journey over European cities aglow with twinkling lights. The camera then glides over the tranquil Mediterranean Sea, capturing the region's coastal cities. As the video progresses, it reveals the iconic Nile River in northern Africa, where its vibrant lights paint a mesmerizing picture against the dark backdrop of the night.

The video then showcases the incredible sight of lightning storms illuminating the Earth's surface. The erratic flashes of lightning below are a reminder of the power and beauty of nature. As the footage pans upward, stars gradually emerge on the planet's curved horizon, shining through a faint atmospheric phenomenon known as airglow.

For the unversed, NASA's APOD is a popular online resource that features a new astronomical image or photograph every day, showcasing captivating visuals of celestial objects, cosmic events, and phenomena, accompanied by informative explanations written by professional astronomers.