오로라는 정말이지 경이로운 자연 현상이다.

위키피디아에 따르면 오로라는 "지구 밖에서 입사(入射)하는 대전 입자(전자 또는 양성자)가 지구 초고층 대기의 공기 분자와의 충돌하여 빛을 내는 현상"이다.

그러나 우리가 이 경이로운 빛과 마주하게 되는 순간, 이건 과학적인 현상이 아니라 뭔가 초자연적인 신의 계시라는 생각을 가질 수밖에 없다. 그 정도로 오로라는 아름답다.

허핑턴포스트가 미국, 캐나다, 북부 유럽 사람들이 올린 오로라 사진과 동영상 중에서 최고의 것만 15개를 모았다. 가장 놀라운 건 ISS(국제우주정거장)에서 바인으로 찍은 오로라 동영상이다. 그야말로 이건, 경이다.

"Solar storms" are our favourite kind of storms ???? #aurora #iceland #northernlights

A photo posted by Styrmir Kári & Heiðdís (@styrmir_heiddis) on Mar 18, 2015 at 8:10am PDT

styrmir_heiddis/Instagram

Öxarárfoss #waterfall at Þingvellir national park last night, the Northern Lights were amazing! #Iceland #Aurora #Nature

A photo posted by GO Films&Stills (@gofilmsandstills) on Mar 18, 2015 at 8:58am PDT

gofilmsandstills/Instagram

Beautiful image captured by a Slooh observatory astronomer on an expedition to Iceland. (Credit: Juan Carlos Casado, SLOOH/IAC Expedition)

I had to process at least one of them before going to sleep! (I really do need it right now!) This is an 8 shot panoramic of Kirkjufell. 87mp file reduced down to a 600px square ???????????? I'll post up the rest when I am alive again. ????????????

A photo posted by Ed Norton (@ed_norton) on Mar 18, 2015 at 8:54am PDT

ed_norton/Instagram

Aurora Borealis over Reynolds pond in Central Oregon 3/17/2015. #traveloregon  #bestoforegon #oregonexplored #exploregon #visitpnw #centraloregon #visitcentraloregon #bendoregon #inbend @Bend0regon  #visitbend @visitbend

A photo posted by Kurt Windisch (@kurtw123) on Mar 18, 2015 at 7:42am PDT

kurtw123/Instagram

Terry W. Virts/Vine

All #nighter of an ???? amazing #show ended up #capturing amazing photos of the #northern #lights last #night this is a tease shot. Once I render the images I'll post them up.

A photo posted by ????Eddy Maget ✅???? (@eddymaget) on Mar 18, 2015 at 9:36am PDT

eddymaget/Instagram

The Northern Lights Been almost 4 years since I last saw them. @syrp_ #syrptimelapse

A video posted by Javin Lau (@javin_lau) on Mar 18, 2015 at 8:35am PDT

javin_lau/Instagram

Last night Earth experienced a geomagnetic storm and aurora were visible in the Northern U.S. states. These images of aurora were captured on March 17, 2015, around 5:30 a.m. EDT in Donnelly Creek, Alaska by Sebastian Saarloos. Image Courtesy of Sebastian Saarloos.

Welp, I guess you can only luck out so many times. Finally after about a year of disappointing trips searching, got to see the beauty of the northern lights or "Aurora Borealis" right here in Ohio! #ohio #ohiogram #north #northernlights #aurora #auroraborealis #sky #stars #night #north #weownthenight_ohio #discoverohio #travel #travelgram #lights #landscape #hiketheus #getoutside

A photo posted by Kyle Beecher (@kylebeechermedia) on Mar 18, 2015 at 5:12am PDT

kylebeechermedia/Instagram

Luck of the Irish!

A photo posted by Chris Malloy (@mistermalloy) on Mar 18, 2015 at 5:19am PDT

mistermalloy/Instagram

Northern Lights light up the sky on the Denali National Park Road about 6 miles into the park looking east. #northernlights #auroraborealis #Denali #DenaliNationalPark #lightshow #landscape #Alaska

A photo posted by Kent Miller (@kent_miller) on Mar 18, 2015 at 2:43am PDT

kent_miller/Instagram

Timelapse of last night's aurora display. Full video on FB: http://goo.gl/calDV5 #aurora #auroraborealis #northernlights #torchlake #michigan #puremichigan #timeplase

A video posted by Heather Higham (@snaphappygalphotography) on Mar 18, 2015 at 9:12am PDT

snaphappygalphotography/Instagram

More craziness from last night! The stand of trees looks like cross section of a wing in a wind tunnel #aurora #auroraborealis #northernlights #natgeolandscape #nightimages #exploreedmonton #explorealberta #yeggers #yeg #igyeg #imagesofcanada #totescanadian

A photo posted by Jeff Wallace (@wherezjeff) on Mar 18, 2015 at 9:08am PDT

wherezjeff/Instagram

What a light show we had yesterday! By far the strongest aurora borealis display ever. #dancinglights#AuroraBorealispic.twitter.com/yTc49ftSkG

— Oğuzhan Kaya (@oguzhankaya_ok) March 18, 2015

Oğuzhan Kaya/Twitter

*이 기사는 허핑턴포스트US의 Oooh! Stunning Auroras Seen By Skywatchers Around The World를 번역, 가공한 글입니다.