© Tim Bow

Borgarnes, Iceland

Latitude: 64° 33' 37'' N

Longitude: 21° 53' 53'' W

30 December 2016 2300 (Local Time)

Image P/S code: P.14.3

Image I.D.: 5720

• Images & related info Other Images Images of 1987 edition
• 

  Polar aurora

  The aurora is a visible manifestation of electrically charged solar particles channelled by the Earth's magnetic field acting on the rarefied gases of the higher atmosphere.

  Aurorae are most frequently observed in arcs around the magnetic poles – the “auroral ovals”. However, coronal mass ejections or solar flares from the Sun may temporarily enhance the solar wind reaching the Earth. During such events, the auroral oval temporarily enlarges, allowing aurorae to be seen from lower latitudes.

  In the northern hemisphere, the aurora is known as the “aurora borealis”, or “northern lights”. In the southern hemisphere, it is called the “aurora australis”, or “southern lights”. This photograph from Iceland shows the aurora borealis.

  The colour of the aurora is dependent on the particular atmospheric gas that emits the light, the electrical state of the gas and the energy of the solar particles. The brightest and most common auroral light is white with a greenish or greenish-yellow tinge and is emitted by atomic oxygen at around 100 000 m above the ground. At an altitude of about 150 000 m, single oxygen atoms produce a diffuse red glow. Pinkish light on the lower fringes of arcs and bands comes from atomic nitrogen as low as about 60 000 m. Molecular nitrogen emits bluish-purple light at the highest levels.

  Links in the image description will highlight features on the image. Mouse over the features for more detail.

  © Tim Bow
  Borgarnes, Iceland
  Latitude: 64° 33' 37'' N
  Longitude: 21° 53' 53'' W
  30 December 2016 2300 (Local Time)
  
  
  Image P/S code: P.14.3
  Image I.D.: 5720
• 

  Aurora australis

  The aurora is a visible manifestation of electrically charged solar particles channelled by the Earth's magnetic field acting on the rarefied gases of the higher atmosphere.

  Aurorae are most frequently observed in arcs around the magnetic poles – the “auroral ovals”. In the northern hemisphere, the aurora is known as the “aurora borealis”, or “northern lights”. In the southern hemisphere, the aurora is called the “aurora australis”, or “southern lights”. This picture from Australia shows the aurora australis.

  The colour of the aurora is dependent on the particular atmospheric gas that emits the light, the electrical state of the gas and the energy of the solar particles. The brightest and most common auroral light is white with a greenish or greenish-yellow tinge and is emitted by atomic oxygen at around 100 km above the ground. At an altitude of about 150 km, single oxygen atoms produce a diffuse red glow. Pinkish light on the lower fringes of arcs and bands comes from atomic nitrogen as low as about 60 km. Molecular nitrogen emits bluish-purple light at the highest levels.

  Links in the image description will highlight features on the image. Mouse over the features for more detail.

  © Steven Sandner
  Longwarry Victoria, Australia
  Latitude: 38° 9' 37'' S
  Longitude: 145° 46' 16'' E
  25 June 2015 0531 (Local Time)
  
  
  Camera direction: towards S
  Image P/S code: S.14.3
  Image I.D.: 5680
• 

  Aurora borealis

  The aurora is a visible manifestation of electrically charged solar particles channelled by the Earth's magnetic field acting on the rarefied gases of the higher atmosphere.

  Aurorae are most frequently observed in arcs around the magnetic poles – the “auroral ovals”. In the northern hemisphere, the aurora is known as the “aurora borealis”, or “northern lights”. In the southern hemisphere, it is called the “aurora australis”, or “southern lights”.

  This picture from northern Scotland, UK shows a particularly active aurora borealis that occurred during the impact on the Earth of a coronal mass ejection event from the Sun. The auroral oval temporarily enlarges, allowing aurorae to be seen from lower latitudes.

  The colour of the aurora is dependent on the particular atmospheric gas that emits the light, the electrical state of the gas and the energy of the solar particles. The brightest and most common auroral light is white with a greenish or greenish-yellow tinge and is emitted by atomic oxygen at around 100 km above the ground. At an altitude of about 150 km, single oxygen atoms produce a diffuse red glow. In this event, rapidly changing rays rose from green bands and arcs, changing colour from green to red.

  Links in the image description will highlight features on the image. Mouse over the features for more detail.

  © Nicky Mack
  Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  Latitude: 57° 43' 12'' N
  Longitude: 3° 17' 52'' W
  27 February 2014 2145 (Local Time)
  
  
  Camera direction: towards NW
  Image P/S code: S.14.3
  Image I.D.: 5714
• 

  Aurora borealis

  The aurora is a visible manifestation of electrically charged solar particles channelled by the Earth's magnetic field acting on the rarefied gases of the higher atmosphere.

  The colour of the aurora is dependent on the particular atmospheric gas that emits the light, the electrical state of the gas and the energy of the solar particles. The brightest and most common auroral light, as seen here, is white with a greenish or greenish-yellow tinge and is emitted by atomic oxygen at around 100 km above the ground.

  Links in the image description will highlight features on the image. Mouse over the features for more detail.

  © Nicky Mack
  Lossiemouth, Moray, Scotland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  Latitude: 57° 43' 4'' N
  Longitude: 3° 18' 3'' W
  31 December 2015 0100 (Local Time)
  
  
  Camera direction: towards N
  Image P/S code: S.14.3
  Image I.D.: 5716
• 

  Polar aurora

  (NB. Hour of day estimated)

  The aurora is a visible manifestation of electrically charged solar particles channelled by the Earth's magnetic field acting on the rarefied gases of the higher atmosphere. The altitude of the lower limit is approximately 100 kilometres (occasionally as low as 60 kilometres), while the upper limit ranges between 100 and 400 kilometres (occasionally as high as 1000 kilometres). By comparison, noctilucent clouds occur between 75 and 90 kilometres. Auroral curtains surround both the northern and southern magnetic poles and appear as a luminous ring when viewed from well above the polar region. Such curtains, seen in the photograph at 1, 2, 3 and 4, 5, become intermittently active, and fold, curl and break up in a phenomenon known as an "auroral substorm".

  Links in the image description will highlight features on the image. Mouse over the features for more detail.

  © S.I. Akasofu
  Fairbanks, Alaska, United States of America
  Latitude: 64° 50' 16'' N
  Longitude: 147° 42' 59'' W
  28 January 1977 2200 (Local Time)
  
  
  C_L = /, C_M = /, C_H = /