Airline passengers saw the Northern Lights up close on Monday, when their plane flew by the dazzling neon green phenomenon.
Most people who’ve seen the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, have only seen them from the ground. To see the lights at eye-level is an experience only a relative few would ever have.
7 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS
Photos shot during easyJet flight 1806’s trip from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Manchester, U.K. provide a peek at the lights with this rare perspective.
The lights can be seen dancing over the plane’s left wing, appearing as a neon green ribbon popping on the backdrop of a starry night sky.
Some images show the lights in a blur, indicating their naturally frantic movement.
To make sure the passengers could see this striking view, the pilot of easyJet flight 1806 made a small loop in the flight path.
The Northern Lights are caused by geomagnetic storms, which occur when solar events bombard the Earth with electrons. The electrons interact with the oxygen and nitrogen in Earth’s magnetic field – an interaction that produces the Northern Lights.
A strong geomagnetic storm was reported Sunday night to early Monday morning, according to NOAA. On a geomagnetic storm scale from G1 up to G5, the storm was rated G3, or Strong.
Because of the geomagnetic storm, the Northern Lights were visible much farther south than usual overnight Sunday and Monday – giving the passengers of easyJet flight 1806 an electrifying view.