These CMEs can disrupt communications and GPS systems but can also deliver outstanding auroras on Earth.

The camera, part of ESA’s Space Weather Service online grid, observed the aurora on Oct. 12.

The video feels like watching a magic crystal ball as the aurora swishes from green to purple.

The rarer purple colors come from the charged particles interacting with nitrogen.

It’s a fantastical lab experiment in the sky – with real-life implications.

Laurens noted that studying the swirling movement of the aurora helps scientists monitor space weather conditions.