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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Aurora Shimmer, Meteor Flash
NASA ^ | December 07, 2014 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 12/07/2014 9:13:20 PM PST by SunkenCiv

Explanation: Northern Lights, aurora borealis, haunted skies over the island of Kvaløya, near Tromsø Norway on 2009 December 13. This 30 second long exposure records their shimmering glow gently lighting the wintery coastal scene. A study in contrasts, it also captures the sudden flash of a fireball meteor from the excellent Geminid meteor shower in 2009 December. Streaking past familiar stars in the handle of the Big Dipper, the trail points back toward the constellation Gemini, off the top of the view. Both aurora and meteors occur in Earth's upper atmosphere at altitudes of 100 kilometers or so, but aurora caused by energetic charged particles from the magnetosphere, while meteors are trails of cosmic dust. Toward the end of this week the 2014 Geminids meteor shower will peak, although they will compete with the din of last quarter moonlight.

December 07, 2014

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; science
[Credit & Copyright:: Bjornar G. Hansen]

1 posted on 12/07/2014 9:13:20 PM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: SunkenCiv

Just lovely.


2 posted on 12/07/2014 9:14:39 PM PST by Ciexyz
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To: SunkenCiv

very nice!


3 posted on 12/07/2014 9:15:23 PM PST by txnativegop (Tired of liberals, even a few in my own family.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Makes me pine.


4 posted on 12/07/2014 9:28:04 PM PST by Ken H (What happens on the internet stays on the internet.)
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To: Ken H

Pinin’ for the fjords?


5 posted on 12/08/2014 7:47:16 AM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______________________Celebrate the Polls, Ignore the Trolls)
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
The Big One

6 posted on 12/08/2014 7:49:27 AM PST by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______________________Celebrate the Polls, Ignore the Trolls)
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To: SunkenCiv

Thank you for posting this spectacular picture, Mr. Civ.


7 posted on 12/08/2014 3:08:34 PM PST by TheOldLady
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