Aurora from International Space Station on July 25, 2010

Aurora viewed from space.

The green lights above Earth's surface are the aurora (northern lights and southern lights), as seen from the International Space Station on July 25, 2010. Auroras primarily occur in Earth’s thermosphere, which is an upper layer of the atmosphere.

Science & Analysis Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center

The aurora (northern lights and southern lights) mostly occur in the thermosphere. This photo of the aurora was taken by astronaut Doug Wheelock from the International Space Station on July 25, 2010.