Posted on 07/25/2012 4:39:07 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: Why is this aurora strikingly pink? When photographing picturesque Crater Lake in Oregon, USA last month, the background sky lit up with auroras of unusual colors. Although much is known about the physical mechanisms that create auroras, accurately predicting the occurrence and colors of auroras remains a topic of investigation. Typically, it is known, the lowest auroras appear green. These occur at about 100 kilometers high and involve atmospheric oxygen atoms excited by fast moving plasma from space. The next highest auroras -- at about 200 kilometers up -- appear red, and are also emitted by resettling atmospheric oxygen. Some of the highest auroras visible -- as high as 500 kilometers up -- appear blue, and are caused by sunlight-scattering nitrogen ions. When looking from the ground through different layers of distant auroras, their colors can combine to produce unique and spectacular hues, in this case rare pink hues seen above. As Solar Maximum nears over the next two years, particle explosions from the Sun are sure to continue and likely to create even more memorable nighttime displays.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit & Copyright: Brad Goldpaint (Goldpaint Photography)]
Wow, I took a picture from practically this exact same point 15-20 years ago into bright sunlight with 1000x film that came out stunningly beautiful. I’d post it for comparison if I could figger out how to do that.
I've been there in June and there was snow and the temperature was about 80 degrees during the day. The snow is from winter and hasn't melted yet.
That fast moving plasma.....always coming in and stirring things up. Give me slow moving plasma every time.
It’s easy...
go to URL below...
Choose File...
Upload...
copy “HTML for Websites” and past it into the reply box at Free Republic
(you may also create a free account there to save your images).
Beautiful, SunkenCiv! .. such a treat!!
If it’s not digital, you’ll have to find a scanner. If you do, make sure you have a dry cloth that will get rid of any dust on the pic (and the scanner bed), scan to a file with a non-compressed format, and get the highest resolution you can; then scan another file at about half that resolution, in case you have trouble editing the really big one later.
Thank you for that information. I’d like to set up a scanner someday and try that with old photos and slides. Any advice on a basic, easy (intuitive) photo editor?
Beautiful. I wonder if there had been any forest fires in the area affecting the atmosphere?
New wallpaper. Thank you, Mr. Civilizations.
Soooo pretty! saved!
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