APOD: Night on a Spooky Planet (2017 Oct 29)

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APOD Robot
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APOD: Night on a Spooky Planet (2017 Oct 29)

Post by APOD Robot » Sun Oct 29, 2017 4:07 am

Image Night on a Spooky Planet

Explanation: What spooky planet is this? Planet Earth of course, on a dark and stormy night in 2013 at Hverir, a geothermally active area along the volcanic landscape in northeastern Iceland. Geomagnetic storms produced the auroral display in the starry night sky while ghostly towers of steam and gas venting from fumaroles danced against the eerie greenish light. Tonight, there is also a chance for geomagnetic storms triggered by recent solar activity, so high-latitude skygazers should beware. Ghostly shapes may dance in your neighborhood pretty soon, too.

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neufer
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Re: APOD: Night on a Spooky Planet (2017 Oct 29)

Post by neufer » Sun Oct 29, 2017 9:21 am

https://www.etymonline.com/word/spook wrote:
spook (n.) 1801, "spectre, apparition, ghost," from Dutch spook, from Middle Dutch spooc "spook, ghost," from a common Germanic source (German Spuk "ghost, apparition," Middle Low German spok "spook," Swedish spok "scarecrow," Norwegian spjok "ghost, specter," Danish spøg "joke"), of unknown origin. According to Klein's sources, possible outside connections include Lettish spigana "dragon, witch," spiganis "will o' the wisp," Lithuanian spingu, spingeti "to shine," Old Prussian spanksti "spark."
Art Neuendorffer