Reactions with different gases creates aurora of different colors. They were originally sighted and named the aurora borealis by french scientist pierre gassendi in 1621 after aurora, the roman goddess of dawn, and boreas, the roman god of the north these dancing lights are also known as the northern lights in the northern latitudes and the aurora australis or corona borealis in the southern latitudes. Today there are scientific explanations that tell us why the aurora borealis occur, but for many years, people were baffled by how they happened. It changes simultaneously with the northern auroral zone and is visible from high southern latitudes in antarctica, south america, new zealand, and australia. We will gather in anchorage, alaska, to begin our adventure, situated at the head of the cook strait and at the foot of the chugach mountains, whose peaks. The aurora australis can be tough to catch, and even great efforts may fail. Auroras result from emissions of photons in the earths upper atmosphere above 80 km, from ionized nitrogen atoms regaining an electron, and from electrons. Australis come mostly from excited oxygen and nitrogen in. Youll probably see a picture of this luminous phenomenon of our starry skies and immediately picture yourself gazing at the dancing green lights in arctic wilderness, oh, how we.
The aurora borealis southern counterpart, the aurora australis or the southern lights, has almost identical features. Visit shooting the aurora borealis for more photos by dick hutchinson photograph by jan curtis of a rare red aurora. Theyre quite the star of the bucket list, and for good reason, theyre the worlds most iconic light show after all. The aurora borealis or northern lights are caused by highenergy particles from the sun interacting with atmospheric gases 50300 miles above earths surface. The aurora borealis viewing and photographing the northern lights what is the aurora borealis. This ethereal display the aurora borealis or aurora australis, the northern or southern lights is beautiful. Called the au rora borealis or northern lights fig. Auroras aurora borealis in the northern hemisphere, and aurora australis in the southern hemisphere are beautiful, mysterious light displays in the sky that are caused by solar wind from the sun.
Aurora photography more photographs, movies and soundsphotograph by dick hutchinsonshot near circle, alaska. Aurora borealis and the aurora australis introduction to chemistry. Space environment centers pdf file on aurora windows to the. Aurora he beautiful and often eerie curtains of light in the nighttime sky known as aurora have been enjoyed by people for millennia. Aurora borealis or northern lights, the greatest light show on earth. Called the aurora bor ealis or northern lights fig. The aurora borealis and aurora australis often called the northern lights and southern lights are common occurrences at high northern and southern latitudes.
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