The Space Station has hands? Orbiting craft extends its huge robot limb as it captures Southern Lights blazing




It looks like the opening shot of a sci fi film with a spacecraft looming over an alien world - but in fact, it's our own Earth, and the mysterious spaceship is one of the robot arms of the Space Station.

The shot was captured by the current Expedition 32 team on board the Space Station, and shows the 'Southern Lights' erupting over our planet's south pole.



Don't look down: The Expedition 32 crew onboard the International Space Station, flying an altitude of approximately 240 miles, recorded a series of images of Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights

Canadarm is a 'robot arm' of the Space Station, which is used to transport equipment around the Space Station, and to support astronauts working in space.

It's pictured here in front of a spectacular display of Southern Lights shot from within the Station's Tranquillity node.



The night time display comes about when charged particles from the sun combine with the earth's magnetic field creating bursts of light.



Different types of gases found at different attitudes which causes the range on colours to appear.



Green lights are the most common, and the Space Station often captures spectacular views as it hurtles over 240 miles up.



This image was captured by NASA astronaut Joe Acaba, flight engineer, recorded the series of images from the Tranquility node of the Space Station.

In the foreground,









