| Higher than the
highest
building, higher than the
highest
mountain, higher than the
highest airplane, lies the realm of the
aurora.
Auroras rarely reach below 60 kilometers,
and can range up to 1000 kilometers.
Aurora light results from energetic
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 wide angle image, horizontally compressed, captured an
unexpected auroral display that
stretched across the sky one month ago over eastern
Norway.
Credit & Copyright:
Sebastian Voltmer
|