The green polar lights threw light across the ice. They are caused by disturbances in the magnetosphere by solar wind, causing particles to move into the upper atmosphere and emit light.
ADVERTISEMENTThe aurora borealis, or northern lights, put on a spectacular show above China's Zhongshan Research Station in Antarctica.
Researchers from the facility filmed the green polar lights swirling and undulating, throwing light across the ice-covered ground.
The aurora is a natural light phenomenon predominantly seen in the high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic. It is caused by disturbances in the magnetosphere by solar wind, a stream of charged particles escaping the Sun.
These disturbances are sometimes strong enough to alter the trajectories of charged particles, causing them to precipitate into the upper atmosphere and emit light of varying colours and complexity.