Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Astronomy Picture of the Day -
NASA ^ | 3 Jun, 2025 | Image Credit & Copyright: Miguel Claro (TWAN); Rollover Annotation: Judy Schmidt

Posted on 06/03/2025 12:49:13 PM PDT by MtnClimber

Explanation: Why would the sky glow like a giant repeating rainbow? Airglow. Now, air glows all of the time, but it is usually hard to see. A disturbance however -- like an approaching storm -- may cause noticeable rippling in the Earth's atmosphere. These gravity waves are oscillations in air analogous to those created when a rock is thrown in calm water. The long-duration exposure nearly along the vertical walls of airglow likely made the undulating structure particularly visible. OK, but where do the colors originate? The deep red glow likely originates from OH molecules about 87 kilometers high, excited by ultraviolet light from the Sun. The orange and green airglow is likely caused by sodium and oxygen atoms slightly higher up. The featured image was captured during a climb up Mount Pico in the Azores of Portugal. Ground lights originate from the island of Faial in the Atlantic Ocean. A spectacular sky is visible through this banded airglow, with the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy running up the image center, and M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, visible near the top left.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa
To be added or removed from the Astronomy Picture of the Day ping list please send me a request via "Private Reply" (Mail).

For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

1 posted on 06/03/2025 12:49:13 PM PDT by MtnClimber
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

2 posted on 06/03/2025 12:49:39 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

3 posted on 06/03/2025 12:50:05 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

4 posted on 06/03/2025 12:50:49 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

In b4 someone wants to talk about Uranus.


5 posted on 06/03/2025 12:55:32 PM PDT by tumblindice (America's founding fathers: all armed conservatives)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Wow.


6 posted on 06/03/2025 1:03:45 PM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

That’s wild (and crazy).


7 posted on 06/03/2025 1:08:56 PM PDT by NavyShoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

Cogito, airglow sum


8 posted on 06/03/2025 1:29:25 PM PDT by null and void (Democrats: fake news, fake presidents, fake beliefs, fake policies, fake protesters & fake voters!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

I miss the Ocean!
.
But i Did see Star Link with Maybe 20 satellites trailing behind a couple weeks Ago !!!
Arizona has Perks.


9 posted on 06/03/2025 2:42:17 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: MtnClimber

That’s beautiful.


10 posted on 06/03/2025 2:45:56 PM PDT by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Big Red Badger

;)


11 posted on 06/03/2025 5:07:59 PM PDT by Big Red Badger (ALL Things Will be Revealed !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson