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Credit & Copyright: James Boardman-Woodend
(Images ~ Inspired by Nature);
Annotation: Judy Schmidt
Explanation:
What's going on behind that volcano?
Quite a bit.
First of all, the volcano itself, named
Kirkjufell,
is quite old and located in western Iceland near the town of
GrundarfjÆrÏur.
In front of the
steeply-sloped structure
lies a
fjord that had just
began to freeze when the above image was taken -- in mid-December of 2012.
Although quite faint to the
unaided eye,
the beautiful
colors of
background aurorae
became quite apparent on the 25-second exposure.
What makes this image is of particular note, though, is that also captures streaks from
the
Geminids meteor shower --
meteors that might not have been evident were the aurora much brighter.
Far in the distance, on the left, is the
band of our Milky Way Galaxy, while
stars from our local part of the
Milky Way
appear spread across the background.
This weekend the
Perseids
meteor
shower
will peak and may well provide
sky enthusiasts with their own
memorable visual experiences.
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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: meteors - volcano
Publications with words: meteors - volcano
See also: