APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Aurora Over Alaska
Explanation: Higher than the highest mountain , higher than the highest airplane, lies the realm of the aurora . Aurora rarely reach below 60 kilometers, and can range up to 1000 kilometers. Aurora light results from solar 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 photograph was taken in January in Alaska and shows a spectacular aurora borealis above a frozen landscape which includes spruce trees and the photographer's truck. The picture had to be taken quickly as the temperature was below -40 degrees .
| Date | March 4, 1998 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Credit & Copyright: D. Hutchinson |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |