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Credit & Copyright: Philippe
Moussette
(Obs. Mont
Cosmos)
Explanation:
While enjoying the
spaceweather on a
gorgeous summer evening
in mid-July, astronomer Philippe Moussette captured this
colorful fish-eye lens view looking north from the
Observatoire
Mont Cosmos, Quebec, Canada, planet Earth.
In the foreground, lights along the northern horizon give
an orange cast to the low clouds.
But far above the clouds, at altitudes of 100 kilometers
or more, are alluring green and purple hues of the
aurora borealis or
northern lights,
a glow powered by energetic particles at the edge of space.
In the background are familiar stars of the northern sky.
In particular, that famous celestial kitchen utensil,
the Big Dipper (left), and the W-shaped
constellation Cassiopeia (right)
are
easy to spot.
Then, just follow the pointer stars of the Big Dipper
to
Polaris, perhaps the most
famous northern light of all.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: aurora borealis
Publications with words: aurora borealis
See also: