drumbo
09-06-06, 01:45 PM
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0609/aurora_hapeman.jpg (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0609/aurora_hapeman_big.jpg) Green Aurora Over Lake Superior
Credi & Copyrightt: Jeff Hapeman (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/mailto: mailto: jeff.hapeman at mac.com)
Explanation: What if your horizon was green? If you've got a camera, take a picture! That was the experience of Jeff Hapeman last week when visiting the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (http://www.nps.gov/piro/) in Michigan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan). On a quiet night toward the northern horizon over Lake Superior (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Superior) was a long lasting diffuse green aurora (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060329.html). The above image was taken in an effort to capture the sense of wonder (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040808.html) one gets when watching an auroral display. Auroras (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_%28astronomy%29) are sparked by energetic particles (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031029.html) from the Sun (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/sun.html) impacting the magnetic environment (http://www.gi.alaska.edu/asahi/magfield01.htm) around the Earth. Resultant energetic particles such as electrons (http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/welect.html) and protons (http://www.neutron.anl.gov/hyper-physics/proton.html) rain down near the Earth's poles and impact the air. The impacted air (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air) molecules temporarily lose electrons, and when oxygen molecules (http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/8.html) among them reacquire these electrons, they emit green (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060401.html) light. Auroras (http://www.pbase.com/jhapeman/aurora) are known to have many shapes (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051120.html) and colors (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040730.html).
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060906.html)
Credi & Copyrightt: Jeff Hapeman (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/mailto: mailto: jeff.hapeman at mac.com)
Explanation: What if your horizon was green? If you've got a camera, take a picture! That was the experience of Jeff Hapeman last week when visiting the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (http://www.nps.gov/piro/) in Michigan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan). On a quiet night toward the northern horizon over Lake Superior (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Superior) was a long lasting diffuse green aurora (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060329.html). The above image was taken in an effort to capture the sense of wonder (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040808.html) one gets when watching an auroral display. Auroras (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_%28astronomy%29) are sparked by energetic particles (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031029.html) from the Sun (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/sun.html) impacting the magnetic environment (http://www.gi.alaska.edu/asahi/magfield01.htm) around the Earth. Resultant energetic particles such as electrons (http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/welect.html) and protons (http://www.neutron.anl.gov/hyper-physics/proton.html) rain down near the Earth's poles and impact the air. The impacted air (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air) molecules temporarily lose electrons, and when oxygen molecules (http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/8.html) among them reacquire these electrons, they emit green (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060401.html) light. Auroras (http://www.pbase.com/jhapeman/aurora) are known to have many shapes (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051120.html) and colors (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040730.html).
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060906.html)