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Credit & Copyright: Victor Lima
Explanation:
Immersed in an eerie greenish light, this rugged
little planet
appears to be home to stunning water falls and
an impossibly tall mountain.
It's
planet Earth
of course.
On the night of November 9
the nadir-centered 360 degree mosaic was
captured by digital camera
from the
Kirkjufell
mountain area
of western Iceland.
Curtains of shimmering Aurora Borealis
or Northern Lights provide the pale greenish illumination.
The intense auroral display was caused by solar activity that rocked
Earth's
magnetosphere
in early November and produced strong geomagnetic storms.
Kirkjufell mountain itself stands at the top of the
stereographic
projection's circular horizon.
Northern hemisphere skygazers will recognize
the familiar stars of the Big Dipper just above
Kirkjufell's peak.
At lower right
the compact Pleiades star cluster
and truly giant
planet Jupiter also shine
in this little planet's night sky.
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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: