Orbiting from about 250 miles high, astronauts aboard the International Space Station have a view of Earth that is the envy of many.
The vantage offered by theiconic orbital outpost, after all, offers some stellar sights on our planet – from colorful fireworks to dormant volcanoes – that one can only witness by leaving it.
Now, one of the latest glimpses of Earth from the space station showcases shimmering city lights accentuated by dazzling auroras.
Here's a look.
What is the International Space Station?
The International Space Station has been stationed in low-Earth orbit for more than 25 years, typically about 260 miles high, where it has been home to astronauts from all over the world. Throughout its lifespan, the station has served
as a test bed for scientific research in microgravity and has in years past opened itself up to private commercial missions.
The orbital laboratory is operated through a global partnership of space agencies, including NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
More than 290 spacefarers from 26 countries have visited the International Space Station, including 174 from the United States alone, according to NASA. While aboard the ISS, astronauts from all over the world not only help keep the aging station operational, but prepare for humans to venture deeper into space.
NASA astronaut snaps image of auroras streaking over city lights on Earth
Anil Menon, a NASA astronaut who has been on the ISS since July, recently snapped a striking photo above Earth that shows city lights of central Asia.
Streaking below is the natural light display in Earth's upper atmosphere known as an aurora, which glimmers in hues of red and green in the image. Also visibile in the photograph is solar panels and other space station hardware.
Menon snapped the photo Sept. 9, which NASA shared Oct. 19 in a post on Instagram.
"Earth's surface, seen from low-Earth orbit, streaks with yellow and white lights, with a glowing green aurora visible in the distance," NASA explained in the post. "Star trails are visible above."
What astronauts are on the International Space Station?
Menon is one of seven astronauts living and working at the International Space Station.
The most recent arrivals at the beginning of October included NASA astronauts Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, as well as Joshua Kutryk of the Canadian Space Agency and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov. The astronauts are members of a mission known as Crew-13, which launched for the space station in a SpaceX Dragon capsule perched atop a Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Menon arrived in mid-July at the space station with Russians Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina on a Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft for an eight-month mission.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NASA astronaut captures auroras streaking over city lights from ISS
