While auroras continue to captive people on the ground from around the world, astronauts on board the International Space Station have a unique vantage point to view the Earth's spectacular light show.

Nasa released a breathtaking time-lapse video on Friday (30 June) captured by Expedition 52 that showcases a rotating view of the Earth as an aurora dances above its surface on 25 June.

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"Brilliant fireworks shows on July 4th will have millions looking up, while light shows like these always have astronauts gazing back down," Nasa writes. The space agency has previously released images of auroras captured from the ISS as well.

Auroras occur when electrically-charged electrons and protons collide with neutral atoms in the upper reaches of the Earth's atmosphere to create a stunning display of various colours, usually in shades of pale green or pink. The auroras usually form between 80 and 500 km above the Earth's surface.

"The dancing lights of the aurora provide a spectacular show for those on the ground, but also capture the imaginations of scientists who study the aurora and the complex processes that create them," Nasa said.

Expedition 52 Flight Engineer Jack Fischer also captured the phenomenal lights of an aurora from the ISS' cupola module on 19 June, which also happens to show part of the station's solar array.

NASA