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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Aurora Over Iceland
NASA ^
| March 21, 2012
| (see photo credit)
Posted on 03/20/2012 9:29:04 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: If you see a sky like this -- photograph it. Three nights ago in Iceland, an adventurous photographer (pictured) chanced across a sky full of aurora and did just that. Afterwards, by stitching together five smaller photographs, the entire aurora-lit sky was recreated in this 180-degree panorama taken from Vatnajökull glacier. Auroras are sparked by energetic particles from the Sun impacting the magnetic environment around the Earth. Resultant energetic particles such as electrons and protons rain down near the Earth's poles and impact the air. The impacted air molecules obtain excited electrons, and when electrons in oxygen molecules fall back to their ground state, they emit green light. Auroras are known to have many shapes and colors.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; iceland; science
1
posted on
03/20/2012 9:29:11 PM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
2
posted on
03/20/2012 9:30:52 PM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him)
To: SunkenCiv
3
posted on
03/20/2012 9:43:43 PM PDT
by
Irenic
(The pencil sharpener and Elmer's glue is put away-- we've lost the red wheel barrow)
To: SunkenCiv
Fantastic. It looks sci-fi.
4
posted on
03/20/2012 9:49:55 PM PDT
by
umgud
(No Rats, No Rino's)
To: SunkenCiv
5
posted on
03/20/2012 9:52:56 PM PDT
by
mylife
(The Roar Of The Masses Could Be Farts)
To: SunkenCiv
All that is missing is a Viking longship in the pic.
Beautiful photo, imagine what it would be like to see in person.
6
posted on
03/20/2012 10:08:27 PM PDT
by
The Cajun
(Palin, Free Republic, Mark Levin, Newt......Nuff said.)
To: The Cajun
Beautiful photo, imagine what it would be like to see in person. Pictures don't do it justice. Auroras shimmer and flow, and do so in a manner unlike clouds. A big one like that can cause a bit of a vertigo.
7
posted on
03/20/2012 10:16:08 PM PDT
by
ArrogantBustard
(Western Civilization is Aborting, Buggering, and Contracepting itself out of existence.)
To: ArrogantBustard
A big one like that can cause a bit of a vertigo. A buddy of mine who worked for the same oilfield company that I did said that sometimes he felt like he was falling into it and the sky.
He said words and pics didn't do it justice, experience of a lifetime.
8
posted on
03/20/2012 10:25:28 PM PDT
by
The Cajun
(Palin, Free Republic, Mark Levin, Newt......Nuff said.)
To: SunkenCiv
9
posted on
03/21/2012 1:19:40 AM PDT
by
Daffynition
(On Andrew Breitbart: In his honor, I'll fight harder...He'll be back and he'll be millions.)
To: SunkenCiv
Dude...like...can you see that?....wow...is that like a poster or something?
10
posted on
03/21/2012 3:33:35 AM PDT
by
Tainan
(Cogito, ergo conservatus sum)
To: ArrogantBustard; The Cajun
They also pop & crackle & buzz and make static electricity in the air do wild things...amazing.
11
posted on
03/21/2012 3:35:27 AM PDT
by
Tainan
(Cogito, ergo conservatus sum)
To: SunkenCiv
To: SunkenCiv
13
posted on
03/21/2012 5:39:12 AM PDT
by
ILS21R
(John Locke: When the social contract is broken, the people must revolt.)
To: SunkenCiv
Amazing all around. I didn’t see the photographer or glacier at first. Very cool.
14
posted on
03/21/2012 6:30:17 AM PDT
by
FourPeas
("Maladjusted and wigging out is no way to go through life, son." -hg)
To: SunkenCiv
Iceland gets all the really great light shows in the sky.
15
posted on
03/21/2012 10:28:22 AM PDT
by
TheOldLady
(FReepmail me to get ON or OFF the ZOT LIGHTNING ping list)
To: SunkenCiv
Thank you, SunkenCiv... you know how much I LOVE pitures of the Aurora. Beautiful, stunning, breath taking and awesome!
To: SunkenCiv
Almost makes me want to move north. But then I remember it’s cold there.
17
posted on
03/21/2012 12:06:12 PM PDT
by
brytlea
(An ounce of chocolate is worth a pound of cure)
To: SunkenCiv
Great picture. I am going to show this to my wife, she is traveling to Iceland in May.
18
posted on
03/21/2012 12:33:56 PM PDT
by
Sawdring
To: SunkenCiv
Such a bright spot. In a dimming world.
Pic ain’t bad either.
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