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 the eerie apparition was sure: one of the best auroral displays in recent memory. This spectacular aurora had an unusually high degree of detail . Pictured above , 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 . Many other photogenic auroras have been triggered by recent energetic flares on the Sun.
Astrophysicists: Browse 600+ codes in the Astrophysics Source Code Library
Media Credits & Attribution
Image Credit & Copyright: Ole C. Salomonsen ( Arctic Light Photo )