Monday, September 20, 2010

This Aurora Photo Is the Most Insane I've Ever Seen

http://gizmodo.com/5642766/this-aurora-photo-is-the-most-insane-ive-ever-seen


While searching for media news I came across this jaw dropping photo.  Auroras emit light because of the emission of photons by oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper atmosphere. Those atoms get excited—or ionized—by the collision with solar wind particles, which are accelerated by the Earth's magnetic field. As the atoms get excited or return to their normal state, they emit visible energy. When it is an oxygen atom, the light emitted is either green or brownish-red, depending on the energy level absorbed by the molecule. Blue happens when nitrogen gets ionized and red when it returns to ground state. I came across this picture and was in awe I thought it was so beautiful and it was taken over Norway.

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