Provided
you know a thing or two about shutter speeds and apertures, aurora borealis can
be the subject of some truly mind-bendingly spectacular photographs. But
even by the exceptionally high standards of images showcasing the Northern
Lights, this is particularly special.
The photograph
of a huge dragon-shaped aurora was shot in Iceland earlier this month by
photographers Jingyi Zhang and Wang Zheng.
“This
iconic display was so enthralling that the photographer's mother ran out to see
it and was captured in the foreground,” NASA explains on the Astronomy Picture of the Day blog.
Aurora
borealis, known as the Northern Lights when they occur in the Northern
Hemisphere, aren’t just a pretty sight – they are the result of
cosmic forces journeying across the Solar System. They are caused by solar
particles spat out of the Sun’s corona, its upper atmosphere.
Learn more here.