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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Reflected Aurora Over Alaska
NASA ^ | February 12, 2013 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 02/12/2013 4:14:48 AM PST by SunkenCiv

Explanation: Some auroras can only be seen with a camera. They are called subvisual and are too faint to be seen with the unaided eye. In the above image, the green aurora were easily visible to the eye, but the red aurora only became apparent after a 20-second camera exposure. The reason is that the human eye only accumulates light for a fraction of a second at a time, while a camera shutter can be left open much longer. When photographing an already picturesque scene near Anchorage, Alaska, USA, last autumn, a camera caught both the visual green and subvisual red aurora reflected in a lily pad-covered lake. High above, thousands of stars were visible including the Pleiades star cluster, while the planet Jupiter posed near the horizon, just above clouds, toward the image right. Auroras are caused by energetic particles from the Sun impacting the Earth's magnetosphere, causing electrons and protons to rain down near the Earth's poles and impact the air. Both red and green aurora are typically created by excited oxygen atoms, with red emission, when visible, dominating higher up. Auroras are known to have many shapes and colors.

February 12, 2013

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: alaska; apod; astronomy; aurora; science
[Credit & Copyright: Todd Salat (AuroraHunter); Sky Annotation: Judy Schmidt]

1 posted on 02/12/2013 4:14:55 AM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
Mostly landscape.

2 posted on 02/12/2013 4:15:52 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
Mostly landscape.

3 posted on 02/12/2013 4:16:42 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Well, I learned something new today.

I had NO idea there were water lilies in Alaska.


4 posted on 02/12/2013 4:21:16 AM PST by left that other site (Worry is the darkroom that developes negatives.)
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To: left that other site; SunkenCiv; MHGinTN; neverdem; xsmommy; Tax-chick

Well, it was “summertime” up there 8<)

....

No snow. Check.
Trees. Check.
Melted, calm water. Check.
No snow. Check.
Mosquitoes. Check.
A billion mosquitoes. Check.
And the next billion. Check.
And the next billion. ....


5 posted on 02/12/2013 5:03:16 AM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but socialists' ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE

And the livin’ is EEEEEEzee.......


6 posted on 02/12/2013 5:16:59 AM PST by left that other site (Worry is the darkroom that developes negatives.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Its a great photo but I’d be kicking myself for leaving the lights on behind me.


7 posted on 02/12/2013 5:21:47 AM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: left that other site

In mid-winter no less!


8 posted on 02/12/2013 5:21:56 AM PST by WCH
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To: SunkenCiv

9 posted on 02/12/2013 5:34:18 AM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Mater tua caligas exercitus gerit ;-{)
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To: WCH

Wasn’t winter yet, it was autumn.


10 posted on 02/12/2013 5:35:34 AM PST by SwatTeam
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To: SwatTeam

;)


11 posted on 02/12/2013 5:42:18 AM PST by WCH
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To: SunkenCiv

I love this picture, Sunky! Looks like something out of a story book. So magical! Thanks!


12 posted on 02/12/2013 5:45:40 AM PST by momtothree
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To: JoeProBono

Does that photo rake a (very large) “Hoe, Hoe, Hoe” from the judges, or did you farm it out to someone else?


13 posted on 02/12/2013 6:57:02 AM PST by Robert A Cook PE (I can only donate monthly, but socialists' ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: SunkenCiv

Being in Alaska since 1992 that looks fake.
Photoshop postcard maybe for the tourists.


14 posted on 02/12/2013 7:18:28 AM PST by Eye of Unk
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE

;-{)


15 posted on 02/12/2013 7:26:00 AM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Mater tua caligas exercitus gerit ;-{)
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To: SunkenCiv

Very nice. Worth a trip to the APOD site to see the names of the stars and constellations pictured. Wonderful job again, Mr. Civilizations.


16 posted on 02/12/2013 8:53:59 AM PST by TheOldLady
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To: SunkenCiv

WOW


17 posted on 02/12/2013 8:55:18 AM PST by bmwcyle (People who do not study history are destine to believe really ignorant statements.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Woah! Looks like a really well done Thomas Kinkade!


18 posted on 02/12/2013 12:14:44 PM PST by tanuki (Left-wing Revolution: show biz for boring people.)
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To: left that other site

Dare ya to put your tongue on one of the petals! ;’)


19 posted on 02/12/2013 6:38:12 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Is that a double dog dare?


20 posted on 02/12/2013 6:48:04 PM PST by left that other site (Worry is the darkroom that developes negatives.)
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