Red Aurora over Poland

Explanation: Northern lights don't usually reach this far south. Magnetic chaos in the Sun's huge Active Region 3664 , however, produced a surface explosion that sent a burst of electrons, protons, and more massive, charged nuclei into the Solar System . A few days later, that coronal mass ejection (CME) impacted the Earth and triggered auroras that are being reported unusually far from our planet's north and south poles . The free sky show might not be over -- the sunspot rich AR3664 has ejected even more CME s that might also impact the Earth tonight or tomorrow . That active region is now near the Sun's edge , though, and will soon be rotating away from the Earth . Pictured, a red and rayed aurora was captured in a single 6-second exposure from Racibórz , Poland early last night. The photographer's friend, seeing an aurora for the first time , is visible in the distance also taking images of the beautifully colorful nighttime sky.

Gallery: Global Aurora from Solar Active Region 3664