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Credit & Copyright: Cristian Bigontina
Explanation:
Did you see last night's aurora?
This question was relevant around much of the world a few days ago because a powerful
auroral storm became
visible unusually far from the Earth's poles.
The cause was a giant
X-class
solar flare on Tuesday
that launched energetic
electrons and protons into the
Solar System,
connecting to the Earth via our planet's
magnetic field.
A red glow of these particles striking
oxygen atoms high in
Earth's
atmosphere pervades the frame, while
vertical streaks dance.
The featured video shows a one-hour timelapse as seen from
Cortina d'Ampezzo over
Alps Mountain
peaks in northern
Italy.
Stars from our
Milky Way Galaxy dot the background while
streaks from airplanes and satellites punctuate the foreground.
The high recent activity of
our Sun is likely to
continue to produce
picturesque auroras
over Earth during the next year or so.
Gallery:
Global
aurora during October 10/11, 2024
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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
Publications with words: aurora
See also:
- APOD: 2024 December 8 Á Aurora around Saturns North Pole
- APOD: 2024 October 16 Á Colorful Aurora over New Zealand
- Northern Lights, West Virginia
- Aurora Australis and the International Space Station
- APOD: 2024 June 26 Á Timelapse: Aurora, SAR, and the Milky Way
- APOD: 2024 June 12 Á Aurora over Karkonosze Mountains
- APOD: 2024 May 20 Á Aurora Dome Sky