APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

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Expand view Topic review: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by pjborg » Fri Oct 12, 2012 4:27 pm

Any idea or guesses what that large expanse of light is on the left middle edge? It is in a lightly populated area. It's larger in area than Chicago though not as bright. It's not Minneapolis/St.P., too far west to be Winnipeg and certainly not Minot N.D. which seems to be nearest. But it's pretty near the US/Canadian border. Maybe the Canadians are cooking up something they haven't told us about!
My guess is North Dakota oil rigs.

pj

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by greenhorn » Fri Oct 12, 2012 2:26 pm

geckzilla wrote:
greenhorn wrote:In the left of the picture. Lights appear at regular intervals almost like squares. They extend across the width of the picture. What are they?
America's Breadbasket.

http://goo.gl/maps/nB26c

The farms are geometric and so are the positions of roads and small communities.
Makes sense thanks

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by neufer » Fri Oct 12, 2012 4:51 am

FLPhotoCatcher wrote:
Is that moonglint on the Atlantic and Lakes Erie and Ontario?
  • Probably:
http://phys.org/news/2012-10-suomi-npp-satellite-auroras-north.html wrote:
<<Using the "day-night band" (DNB) of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite acquired this view of the aurora borealis early on the morning of October 8, 2012. The northern lights stretch across Canada's Quebec and Ontario provinces in the image, and are part of the auroral oval that expanded to middle latitudes because of a geomagnetic storm. The DNB sensor detects dim light signals such as auroras, airglow, gas flares, city lights, and reflected moonlight.>>

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by FLPhotoCatcher » Fri Oct 12, 2012 1:19 am

Is that moonglint on the Atlantic and Lakes Erie and Ontario? I've often seen sunglint in satellite photos of various bodies of water, but this would be the first time I've seen moonglint.

Also, It would be cool if someone made a 3D picture of an aurora using two photos taken at different angles. It would work better from the ground, since the photos could be taken simultaneously. As it is, you can see differences in the aurorae from one scan line to the next in this APOD. I would think two cameras set up sideways, about 3 to 4 miles (5 - 7 km) apart, looking the same direction, with perhaps wide-angle lenses, using the same camera settings, and with a large lake or ocean as the foreground would be a good setup. You could even take a series of photos and make a 3D time lapse and post it on youtube, which has good 3D viewing options. If there are any photographers of auroras reading this, please put this idea on your to-do list. (And if you feel like it, you can credit me, FLPhotoCatcher, with the idea.)

Thanks

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by neufer » Thu Oct 11, 2012 11:19 pm

owlice wrote:
It's not the monochrome, Yogi. The Neill illustrations are simply better.

Donning the screaming pink spectacles,
Boo-Boo
Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by owlice » Thu Oct 11, 2012 10:07 pm

It's not the monochrome, Yogi. The Neill illustrations are simply better.

Donning the screaming pink spectacles,
Boo-Boo

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by neufer » Thu Oct 11, 2012 9:57 pm

owlice wrote:
neufer, ouch on the Denslow. Neill, please please please!
Donnageddon wrote:
I don't begrudge APOD for using it (other than I follow both sites daily, and this is a repeat for me).

It is a fascinating image. I usually prefer color images of aurora.
The Guardian of the Codes wrote:
I begrudge Art for using monochrome Denslow Oz illustrations.

They are clumsy unromantic images, IMHO.

I always insist on John R. Neill (color) images of Oz
regardless of how difficult they may be to obtain!

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by owlice » Thu Oct 11, 2012 5:47 pm

neufer, ouch on the Denslow. Neill, please please please!

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by Boomer12k » Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:43 pm

The stings of light? Remind me of the stings and groups of galaxies in the Universe's structure...

:---[===] *

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by neufer » Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:32 pm

owlice wrote:
I like Neill's illustrations ever so much better.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oz_characters#Guardian_of_the_Gates wrote: <<The Guardian of the Codes is a character in several of the Oz books. He is never known by any other name, but he is depicted as a singular character who lives in a small room, based on its description significantly larger than a standard guardhouse, in the wall of the Emerald City. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The Marvelous Land of Oz, his function is to tie green spectacles around the heads of all visitors to the Emerald City, on the grounds that the glittering rays of the City would cause blindness. These are locked onto all citizens' and visitors' heads, and the Guardian has the only key.

After The Marvelous Land of Oz, he abandoned the practice, for General Jinjur's Army of Revolt and Tippetariushad all entered the city without damage to their eyes. The spectacles were the idea of the Wizard of Oz to make the city appear greener than it actually is. The Guardian of the Codes appears only occasionally after this book, and his duty becomes significantly lighter.

In The Patchwork Girl of Oz when Ojo the Lucky reaches the city, he and his companions are taken into the Guardian's room, where the Soldier with the Green Whiskers tells the Guardian of the Codes that he has a note from Ozma that Ojo is to be taken prisoner. So the Guardian of the Codes removes the traditional prison garb, a white robe that completely covers the prisoner, from a closet and places it on Ojo and leaves the Soldier with the Green Whiskers in charge of him.

In John R. Neill's Oz books, the Guardian of the Codes and the Soldier with the Green Whiskers are frequently shown as friends, but the subsequent books of Jack Snow give the duty to Omby Amby (the Soldier's name), and there is no entry for the Guardian of the Codes in Snow's Who's Who in Oz. In Neill's The Scalawagons of Oz, the Guardian mentions a desire to visit his cousin, Oompa, which may explain, in-universe, why Omby Amby is fulfilling that function. Further confusion is created in the MGM movie, in which both roles are played by Frank Morgan, and publicity referred to the Guardian's equivalent as "the Doorman" and the Soldier's equivalent as "the Guard". No other Guardian of the Codes is described in any of Baum's books, aside from a stout woman who takes over the function during Jinjur's rule. In The Marvelous Land of Oz musical, in which the role was originated by Steve Huke, the Guardian is conflated with the man interviewed doing housework, and he also claims to have a wife and ten children, a claim not made by anyone in the book.

The Guardian of the Codes had his own eponymous song, written in bass clef, in The Wizard of Oz musical extravaganza, by Baum and composer Paul Tietjens, but it was cut after only two performances and never made it to Broadway, although the sheet music was published for consumer use.

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by owlice » Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:19 pm

neufer wrote:Image
:(

I like Neill's illustrations ever so much better.

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by neufer » Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:18 pm

bystander wrote:
tiztim wrote:Any idea or guesses what that large expanse of light is on the left middle edge? It is in a lightly populated area. It's larger in area than Chicago though not as bright. It's not Minneapolis/St.P., too far west to be Winnipeg and certainly not Minot N.D. which seems to be nearest. But it's pretty near the US/Canadian border. Maybe the Canadians are cooking up something they haven't told us about!
I think the two small dots just to the right of the area are Minot and Minot AFB. Minneapolis/St. Paul is the large bright spot about halfway between there and Chicago. Winnipeg is probably the northern most light, just at the southern edge of the aurora. I think the area in question is probably a thunderstorm. There are no large population areas anywhere close.
The University of Southern North Dakota is just visible :arrow:
Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by bystander » Thu Oct 11, 2012 3:05 pm

tiztim wrote:Any idea or guesses what that large expanse of light is on the left middle edge? It is in a lightly populated area. It's larger in area than Chicago though not as bright. It's not Minneapolis/St.P., too far west to be Winnipeg and certainly not Minot N.D. which seems to be nearest. But it's pretty near the US/Canadian border. Maybe the Canadians are cooking up something they haven't told us about!
I think the two small dots just to the right of the area are Minot and Minot AFB. Minneapolis/St. Paul is the large bright spot about halfway between there and Chicago. Winnipeg is probably the northern most light, just at the southern edge of the aurora. I think the area in question is probably a thunderstorm. There are no large population areas anywhere close.

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by geckzilla » Thu Oct 11, 2012 1:51 pm

greenhorn wrote:In the left of the picture. Lights appear at regular intervals almost like squares. They extend across the width of the picture. What are they?
America's Breadbasket.

http://goo.gl/maps/nB26c

The farms are geometric and so are the positions of roads and small communities.

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by greenhorn » Thu Oct 11, 2012 1:38 pm

In the left of the picture. Lights appear at regular intervals almost like squares. They extend across the width of the picture. What are they?

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by bennypapa » Thu Oct 11, 2012 12:00 pm

tiztim wrote:Any idea or guesses what that large expanse of light is on the left middle edge? It is in a lightly populated area. It's larger in area than Chicago though not as bright. It's not Minneapolis/St.P., too far west to be Winnipeg and certainly not Minot N.D. which seems to be nearest. But it's pretty near the US/Canadian border. Maybe the Canadians are cooking up something they haven't told us about!

I think it is two things,
1 Minot SD
2 translucent cloud layer fuzzing out light on the ground

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by neufer » Thu Oct 11, 2012 11:48 am

Donnageddon wrote:
I don't begrudge APOD for using it (other than I follow both sites daily, and this is a repeat for me).
It is a fascinating image. I usually prefer color images of aurora.
[c]That can be easily remedied:[/c]
“But isn’t everything here green?” asked Dorothy.
ImageImage
“No more than in any other city,” replied Oz; “but when you wear green spectacles, why of course everything you see looks green to you. The Emerald City was built a great many years ago, for I was a young man when the balloon brought me here, and I am a very old man now. But my people have worn green glasses on their eyes so long that most of them think it really is an Emerald City, and it certainly is a beautiful place, abounding in jewels and precious metals, and every good thing that is needed to make one happy. I have been good to the people, and they like me; but ever since this Palace was built, I have shut myself up and would not see any of them.

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by np252003 » Thu Oct 11, 2012 11:30 am

Amazing :D

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by Ann » Thu Oct 11, 2012 11:12 am

bactame wrote:Being a Nivukoskinen myself its always nice to see mention of Suomi NPP is still doing something in this world of ours.
Are you from Finland, bactame?

Ann

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by tiztim » Thu Oct 11, 2012 8:57 am

Any idea or guesses what that large expanse of light is on the left middle edge? It is in a lightly populated area. It's larger in area than Chicago though not as bright. It's not Minneapolis/St.P., too far west to be Winnipeg and certainly not Minot N.D. which seems to be nearest. But it's pretty near the US/Canadian border. Maybe the Canadians are cooking up something they haven't told us about!

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by Boomer12k » Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:06 am

Interesting picture....would have been nice in color...but I understand it is from a satellite...


:---[===] *

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by Mactavish » Thu Oct 11, 2012 6:08 am

bactame wrote:Being a Nivukoskinen . . .
A what?

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by bactame » Thu Oct 11, 2012 5:28 am

Being a Nivukoskinen myself its always nice to see mention of Suomi NPP is still doing something in this world of ours.

Re: APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by Donnageddon » Thu Oct 11, 2012 5:01 am

This was also a recent Earth Observatory POTD

I don't begrudge APOD for using it (other than I follow both sites daily, and this is a repeat for me). It is a fascinating image. I usually prefer color images of aurora. Is the monochrome image due to the filters used?

Anyway great picture of our home.

APOD: Aurorae over Planet Earth (2012 Oct 11)

by APOD Robot » Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:06 am

Image Aurorae over Planet Earth

Explanation: North America at night is easy to recognize in this view of our fair planet from orbit, acquired by the Suomi-NPP satellite on October 8. The spectacular waves of visible light emission rolling above the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario in the upper half of the frame are the Aurora Borealis or northern lights. Encircling the poles and extending to lower latitudes, impressive aurorae seen during the past few days are due to strong geomagnetic storms. The storms were triggered by a solar coronal mass ejection on October 4/5, impacting Earth's magnetosphere some three days later. The curtains of light, shining well over 100 kilometers above the surface, are formed as charged particles accelerated in the magnetosphere excite oxygen and nitrogen in the upper atmosphere.

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