Earth glows like a half moon while a giant aurora writhes over the North Pole in this ultraviolet image from the new Smile spacecraft. (Image credit: ESA & CAS/Smile/UVI CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO)Quick factsWhat it is: An aurora on the sunlit side of EarthWhere it is: Over the North Pole, as seen from about 75,000 miles awayWhen it was shared: Sept. 30The debut images from a new Earth-observing satellite have just given us a view of the impossible: giant auroras rippling over the North Pole in broad daylight. Earth's auroras are one of our planet's signature wonders — a sight worth advertising in interstellar travel guides, alongside our perfect total solar eclipses, bright shooting stars and majesti...