Northern Lights from Space

I wish I could see the northern lights from Earth one day.

Okay, it's oxygen particles emitting light due to the low density of the atmosphere. Happy?

Also, it's prettiful, shiny, AND awesome.

i've seen these from the ground before. they're verrry cool

I read that a couple of people wanted an explanation that was short and easy...well, I will try...

crap (meaning particles) hit the earth's magnetic field and make pretty lights.

For a Wikipedia version go here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_borealis

Ya, mart, don't worry about it.

Beautiful. It'd be nice to see it in person some day, though maybe not from orbit like that.

i didnt understand it....

Mart, the world isn't going to end on our hands.

Though, it will end.

very cool yet for some reason I feel scared... isn't there supposed to be a hole in the ozone layer (Which causes the light) there that if expanded could kill us all?

About the coolest thing I"ve ever seen. Runner up would be this guy in a banana suit who I saw run out of a McDonalds, dance around a pickup truck, get in and drive away. I was also listening to William Shatner sing. But that wasn't as cool as this.

am i the only one that noticed that "northern" is spelt wrong?

Chewie, it does have to do with the magnetosphere. In fact, it's caused by polarized captured from solar wind particles and the stuff that cynn talked about. So you can probably piece it all together, newguy.

If they only occur in the polar region its got to have something to do with the magnetic field too, right? I don't know exactly whats going on with these, but they're purty.

Can some physics nerd get on here and explain in a comment no less than a page long how these "lights" actually happen?

Fantastic... Perfect video to make into a screamer...