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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.

The night sky over a snowy tree-adorned landscape glows in green and purple. The auroral glow might appear to some to be shaped like a creature. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

Creature Aurora Over Norway

Explanation: It was Halloween and the sky looked like a creature. Exactly which creature, the astrophotographer was unsure (but possibly you can suggest one ). Exactly what caused this eerie apparition in 2013 was sure: one of the best auroral displays that year. This spectacular aurora had an unusually high degree of detail . Pictured here , the vivid green and purple auroral colors are caused by high atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen reacting to a burst of incoming electrons . Birch trees in Tromsø , Norway formed an also eerie foreground . Frequently, new photogenic auroras accompany new geomagnetic storms .

Almost Hyperspace: Random APOD Generator

Date November 5, 2023
Credit Image Credit & Copyright: Ole C. Salomonsen ( Arctic Light Photo )
Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U.