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Credit & Copyright: Göran Strand
Explanation:
It was bright and green and stretched across the sky.
This striking aurora display was captured last month just outside of
æstersund,
Sweden.
Six photographic fields were merged to create the featured panorama spanning almost
180 degrees.
Particularly striking aspects of this
aurora include its sweeping arc-like shape and its stark definition.
Lake
StorsjÆn
is seen in the foreground, while several familiar constellations and the star
Polaris are visible through the aurora, far in the background.
Coincidently, the
aurora appears to avoid
the Moon visible on the lower left.
The aurora appeared a
day after a
large hole
opened in the Sun's corona
allowing particularly energetic particles to flow out into the Solar System.
The green color of the
aurora is caused by
oxygen
atoms recombining with ambient
electrons
high in the
Earth's atmosphere.
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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: