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Credit & Copyright: Alyn Wallace
Explanation:
Yes, but can your tree do this?
Pictured is a visual coincidence between the
dark branches of a nearby tree and bright glow of a distant aurora.
The beauty of the
aurora --
combined with how it seemed to mimic a
tree right nearby --
mesmerized the photographer to such a degree that
he momentarily forgot to take pictures.
When viewed at the
right angle, it seemed that this tree had aurora for leaves.
Fortunately, before the aurora morphed into a
different
overall
shape,
he came to his senses and captured the awe-inspiring
momentary coincidence.
Typically triggered by
solar explosions,
aurora are caused by high energy
electrons
impacting the
Earth's atmosphere around 150 kilometers up.
The unusual Earth-sky collaboration was witnessed in March of 2017 in
Iceland.
Sky Surprise:
What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (after 1995)
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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