Venus Rises Behind The Aurora In Stunning Time-Lapse Filmed From Space

Tim Peake's time in space is coming to an end.

But it looks as if the British astronaut is making the most of the three weeks he has left on board the International Space Station .

Peake shared this stunning time-lapse video of Venus rising behind one of the auroras to Facebook on Sunday, and the clip is now going viral:

Peake didn't reveal which part of Earth the ISS was flying over when he captured the spectacular sight. Therefore, it's unclear whether he filmed the Aurora Borealis or the Aurora Australis , also known respectively as the Northern and Southern Lights.

Nicknamed with regard to their proximity to the North and South Poles, the lights take place "when electrically charged protons and electrons in the Earth's magnetic field collide with neutral atoms in the upper atmosphere," says NASA.

The spaceman said he shot an image every second for around two and a half minutes to create the mesmerizing time-lapse video of the second planet from the Sun rising into view.

Peake also revealed what camera he's been using to snap away during his six-month stint on the station:

"Often asked what camera I use," he wrote on Facebook alongside a photograph of his equipment. "All my Earth pics have been with a Nikon D4 and one of these lenses."

In December 2015, Peake became the first person officially representing Britain to board the ISS, joining for the European Space Agency  mission. He is scheduled to return to Earth on June 18.