5 breathtaking photos of mysterious "auroral beads"

Ribbons of dazzling greens, purples, and blues that light up the night sky at Earth’s poles have captivated humans for centuries.

Before we understood what caused the aurora borealis (or aurora australis in the Southern Hemisphere) indigenous peoples believed them to be spirits of departed loved ones (or future children), or of animals they hunted, or omens of good fortune.

Now we know that the aurora forms when solar wind collides with Earth’s atmosphere. The various colors of aurora result from plasma colliding with different atoms in Earth’s atmosphere, like oxygen or nitrogen.

Auroral beads over Saskatoon in winter 2015.

Auroral beads seen from the International Space Station.

More auroral beads from Earth.

These auroral beads appeared over Norway in December 2018.

Auroral beads from Earth.