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Aurora
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Astrophotography by Steve Moore
Aurora Borealis
One of nature's most stunning displays is the aurora,
with it's silently shifting curtains of luminous colour
often covering much of the night sky.
Sometimes, it will appear as a colourful, glowing arc,
remaining virtually stationary for extended periods.
At other times, it will appear to glide eerily about the sky
in a flowing waterfall of colour.
Aurora is caused when incoming electrons from solar emissions
encounter gas molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere.
When electrons collide with oxygen molecules in low pressure
areas of the atmosphere, a yellow-green aurora occurs.
Red is produced by collisions with oxygen in areas of even
lower pressures at higher altitudes. A blue tinge is produced
by interaction with atmospheric nitrogen.
Contact me at astrocat@lineone.net