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Light Show The aurora australis paints the clouds in shades of pink over the south coast of Wellington, New Zealand. Like the aurora borealis, it appears when solar winds filled with charged particles buffet Earth’s magnetic field. The aurora australis, however, is the South Pole’s answer to the northern phenomenon.

Photograph by Mark Gee, National Geographic Your Shot

Photo of the Day: Best of September

Every day, we feature an image chosen from thousands around National Geographic. Here are ten favorites from September.

ByJanna Dotschkal

October 4, 2016

When we least expect it, life surprises us with a little bit of perfection. There are many stunning moments in this month's collection of Photo of the Day images that appear to be stolen from a movie. Whether it's the spectacular aurora australis, a creeping snake in India, or a snowed in tree in Japan, life imitates art.

Janna Dotschkal is the editor of Photo of the Day, a curated look at photography from around National Geographic, including the magazine and our photo community, Your Shot. Liane DiStefano writes the captions and titles.

See which pictures were featured in our last roundup, Photo of the Day: Best of August.