I Wish to Melt Into You, Aurora I Wish to Melt Into You, Aurora

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using VIIRS Day-Night Band data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) and the University of Wisconsin's Community Satellite Processing PackageMonday, October 15, 2012: A large coronal mass ejection erupted from the sun Oct. 4-5, 2012, hurling energetic particles into the Earth’s magnetosphere, producing many beautiful auroral displays on Earth. [Amazing Auroras: Northern Lights of October 2012 (Photos) .] 

The view from space was equally spectacular. The Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite acquired this view of the aurora borealis on October 8, 2012. 

The northern lights float above the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario in this image. Hudson Bay appears as a dark patch at top center. 

Lake Michigan clearly stands out darkly in the lower center, with the lights of Chicago, IL, on the southern tip. Bright lights sharply define the northeastern megalopolis of the United States at lower right, including Long Island jutting out into the ocean. Montreal, Canada, shines is a bright spot near the right side just below center.

— Tom Chao