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Astronomy Image of the Day

Creature Aurora Over Norway

18 November 2018

Ole C. Salomonsen (Arctic Light Photo)

NASA Astronomy Image of the Day for 18 November 2018

It was Halloween and the sky looked like a creature. Exactly which creature, the astrophotographer was unsure but (possibly you can suggest one). Exactly what caused this eerie apparition in 2013 was sure: one of the best auroral displays in recent years. This spectacular aurora had an unusually high degree of detail. Pictured here, the vivid green and purple auroral colors are caused by high atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen reacting to a burst of incoming electrons. Birch trees in Troms�, Norway formed an also eerie foreground. Recently, new photogenic auroras have accompanied new geomagnetic storms.

Image and explanation courtesy of NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day