The Aurora Borealis and the Aurora Australis from space

[Lee Kington]

Some awesome pictures of the Aurora Borealis and the Aurora Australis from space. In one, in addition to the Borealis you can also see the Manicouagan Impact Crater in Quebec.

LINK (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/5577855/The-Aurora-Borealis-and-the-Aurora-Australis-from-space.html)

[EnchantedFrog]

Great shots of a fascinating phenomenon.
The ones showing the red twinge on top are extra cool.

[curtis123]

Some awesome pictures of the Aurora Borealis and the Aurora Australis from space. In one, in addition to the Borealis you can also see the Manicouagan Impact Crater in Quebec.

LINK (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthpicturegalleries/5577855/The-Aurora-Borealis-and-the-Aurora-Australis-from-space.html)

Friggin' awesome. Here in the upper midwest, we get a spectacular view of the Aurora at times. Sometimes, we'll go on trail rides, miles away from any lights, lay in our sleeping bags, speechless at the sight.

I could watch it dance for hours.

[GA_LP]

Super Cool find, Lee.

[gosling2Lindy]

Beautiful!!

Thanks for posting the link.

[Samm]

Y'all notice the Manicouagan meteor crater in the second photo?

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl


When I travel south in the winter I love to see the Aurora from the airplane. Even though they are a common sight up here I never tire of seeing them. It is just one of the many benefits of living in one of the last best places on Earth.

[Wilhelm Scream]

That is one amazing phenomenon. I've only had the chance to see the Aurora Borealis once it person. Very cool.

[LouC]

Thanks, some nice pics.

I'll never forget seeing and hearing them one winter night here in Illinois when I was just a kid.

[Samm]

Thanks, some nice pics.

I'll never forget seeing and hearing them one winter night here in Illinois when I was just a kid.

You gotta be a kid to hear them... we old guys can't hear that frequency anymore. :neutral:

[LouC]

You gotta be a kid to hear them... we old guys can't hear that frequency anymore. :neutral:

If I got to see them again I probably wouldn't hear them either as I is old.

I had no idea at the time that they made noise, it was freaky but cool.

If Alaska wasn't so freaking cold it would be paradise and I could live there and get to see the Lights often.

Of course if it wasn't so freaking cold schmucks like me would fill the place up and it wouldn't be paradise anymore. ;)

[Samm]

If I got to see them again I probably wouldn't hear them either as I is old.

I had no idea at the time that they made noise, it was freaky but cool.

If Alaska wasn't so freaking cold it would be paradise and I could live there and get to see the Lights often.

Of course if it wasn't so freaking cold schmucks like me would fill the place up and it wouldn't be paradise anymore. ;)

The Aurora is out all year long, not just in the winter. The best time to view them in in late August and early September after it gets dark enough, but still warm. Unfortunately, their prevalence is governed by the activity of the Sun, and the Sun is very quiet indeed these days.


We would be happy to have a schmuck like you come stay a while... you might even grow to like it regardless of the winters. Our winters are a damn sight better than many down in the lower 48.

... But don't tell any other schmucks that... we don't want them up here. ;)

[LouC]

The Aurora is out all year long, not just in the winter. The best time to view them in in late August and early September after it gets dark enough, but still warm. Unfortunately, their prevalence is governed by the activity of the Sun, and the Sun is very quiet indeed these days.

I only remember them happening in the winter down here?

Guess it was just coincidental with the Suns activity.

We would be happy to have a schmuck like you come stay a while... you might even grow to like it regardless of the winters. Our winters are a damn sight better than many down in the lower 48.

The Illinois winters here are way too often cold and wet, which is the absolute worst in my opinion.

I think I would be willing to give one winter a try, especially if I had the right wench to fetch wood in for the fire.

... But don't tell any other schmucks that... we don't want them up here. ;)

:)) No problem, not much risk of that in the first place seeing as how the schmucks around here have invested so much time and effort in their inbreeding programs that they wouldn't think of leaving the area, "no matter how big them moose is up yonder that they seen on the Huntin' channel that time neither"... :whistle:

[StoneScratcher]

Awesome photos! Why is the main color green or greenish? Is this typical?

[LouC]

Hope this answers the question.

The phenomenon of aurora is an interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and solar wind.

When the trapped magnetic field of the solar wind is favorably oriented (principally southwards) it connects with Earth's magnetic field, and solar particles enter the magnetosphere and are swept to the magnetotail.

The collisions in the atmosphere electrically excite electrons to take quantum leaps (a mechanism in which the electron's kinetic energy is converted to visible light); and molecules in the upper atmosphere.

The excitation energy can be lost by light emission or collisions.

Most aurorae are green and red emissions from atomic oxygen.

Molecular nitrogen and nitrogen ions produce some low level red (pink) and very high blue/violet aurorae.

The light blue and green colors are produced by ionic nitrogen and the neutral helium gives off the purple colour whereas neon is responsible for the rare orange flares with the rippled edges.

Different gasses interacting with the upper atmosphere will produce different colors, caused by the different compounds of oxygen and nitrogen.

The level of solar wind activity from the Sun can also influence the color and intensity of the aurorae.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_Borealis

[Lady Liberty]

Friggin' awesome. Here in the upper midwest, we get a spectacular view of the Aurora at times. Sometimes, we'll go on trail rides, miles away from any lights, lay in our sleeping bags, speechless at the sight.

I could watch it dance for hours.


That sounds incredible!

[Samm]

Awesome photos! Why is the main color green or greenish? Is this typical?

Yes. When the Aurora is between 60 to 120 miles above Earth, electrons hitting nitrogen atoms emit blue light and electrons hitting oxygen atoms emit green light. Above 120 miles the oxygen emits red light (don't ask my why...)