APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

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APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by APOD Robot » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:06 am

Image A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway

Explanation: Higher than the highest building, higher than the highest mountain, higher than the highest airplane, lies the realm of the aurora. Auroras rarely reach below 60 kilometers, and can range up to 1000 kilometers. Aurora light results from energetic electrons and protons striking molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. Frequently, when viewed from space, a complete aurora will appear as a circle around one of the Earth's magnetic poles. The above wide angle image, horizontally compressed, captured an unexpected auroral display that stretched across the sky one month ago over eastern Norway.

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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by Beyond » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:26 am

WOW! What a Giant Niagara Falls!! And more colorful too. If one was to go over it in a barrel, the only rock one would hit, is the 3rd rock from the sun. :mrgreen:
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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by Sam » Tue Jan 03, 2012 6:14 am

Have auroras bright enough to be seen in the daytime ever been reported or recorded?
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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by orin stepanek » Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:54 pm

what an interesting view! 8-) :clap: :clap:
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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by starstruck » Tue Jan 03, 2012 2:57 pm

Clicking on the link for the uncompressed version of this image, it really is an awe-rora! 8-)

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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by moonstruck » Tue Jan 03, 2012 3:20 pm

I'll bet that was spooky back in the olden days when they thought God was coming down on them. :wink:

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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by zbvhs » Tue Jan 03, 2012 3:53 pm

Think of those vertical displays as thousands - maybe millions - of tons of "stuff" falling on us. You have to appreciate the value of the little thin skin of air this planet has. If it goes bad, we're done for.
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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by Chris Peterson » Tue Jan 03, 2012 4:01 pm

zbvhs wrote:Think of those vertical displays as thousands - maybe millions - of tons of "stuff" falling on us. You have to appreciate the value of the little thin skin of air this planet has. If it goes bad, we're done for.
If we lose our atmosphere, I think unblocked charged particles from the Sun will be the least of our problems! <g>
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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by Chris Peterson » Tue Jan 03, 2012 4:05 pm

Sam wrote:Have auroras bright enough to be seen in the daytime ever been reported or recorded?
I've seen anecdotal reports, but I'm skeptical. "Daytime" does not need to mean "daylight", however. There is such a thing as a "daytime aurora", which occurs near the poles in the direction of the Sun, but when the Sun is below the horizon (normally, auroras are opposite the Sun).

Daylight auroras can sometimes be imaged with ordinary cameras and simple filters, and are regularly observed instrumentally by their effect on radio, radar, and with UV imaging.
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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by Sergio » Tue Jan 03, 2012 4:16 pm

Wow !!!
I wonder how it will be to see that in real time...

Amazing picture
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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by dlw » Tue Jan 03, 2012 6:10 pm

I'm curious about the "can range up to 1000 kilometers" statement. That's essentially the top of the Thermosphere and about 3 times the altitude of the ISS. The number of "molecules in the Earth's atmosphere" up there is pretty small so I'd guess an aurora would be very hard to see. Has anyone actually photographed aurora behavior that high, e.g., looking up from the ISS? I'd guess it would look quite different than the spectacular display photographed over Norway.

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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by eltodesukane » Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:41 pm

Looks like some Mercator map of the Earth

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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by saturn2 » Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:46 am

This picture is a surrealist image.

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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by DavidLeodis » Wed Jan 04, 2012 11:33 am

It's like the colours in light are tumbling down. It's an amazing scene (which was taken on November 28 2011 according to Sebastian's website). I do though prefer the non-compressed version that is brought up when clicking on the image. :D

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watch the time lapse video

Post by Sebastian Voltmer » Wed Jan 18, 2012 12:04 am

Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Many thanks for your kind comments!

Best wishes,
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Re: APOD: A Full Sky Aurora Over Norway (2012 Jan 03)

Post by geckzilla » Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:10 pm

Ooooh, you make your own music, too? Thanks, Sebastian. That was really enjoyable. :)
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