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Credit & Copyright: Jingyi Zhang
Explanation:
It was December and the sky lit up like a Christmas tree.
Shimmering, the vivid green, blue, and purple auroral colors that formed the
tree-like apparition were caused by high atmospheric
oxygen and
nitrogen
reacting to a burst of incoming electrons.
Collisions caused the orbital
electrons of atoms and molecules to
jump into excited energy states and emit
visible light when returning to their normal state.
The featured image was captured in
Djöpivogur,
Iceland
during the last month of 2023.
Our
Sun is currently in its
most energetic phase of its 11-year cycle, with its high number of
active regions and sunspots
likely to last into next year.
Of course, the Sun has been near
solar maximum during this entire year, with its
outbursts sometimes resulting in
spectacular Earthly
auroras.
Image Processors: Take NASA's
Astrophoto
Challenge
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: aurora borealis
Publications with words: aurora borealis
See also: