outdoorjunkieSome incredibly vibrant views from my driveway. While on the previous post we were talking about the greens and purples of the Aurora, in that last photo there is a huge curtain of red above the green arc.
Both these are caused by atmospheric oxygen, but the reds are from oxygen that is higher in the atmosphere. When these gases get hit by the charged particles from the solar wind, they vibrate to expel the positive charge and return to a neutral state. Depending on the amount density of the gasses (lower in the atmosphere has more, higher less) the vibration has a different wavelength that our eyes perceive as light. So reds are happening about 200km in the air with the greens happening about 100km up.
The reds can be somewhat difficult to see with your naked eye but in instances like the second photo they are very vivid to the earthly observer.
outdoorjunkie Some incredibly vibrant views from my driveway. While on the previous post we were talking about the greens and purples of the Aurora, in that last photo there is a huge curtain of red above the green arc.
Show moreBoth these are caused by atmospheric oxygen, but the reds are from oxygen that is higher in the atmosphere. When these gases get hit by the charged particles from the solar wind, they vibrate to expel the positive charge and return to a neutral state. Depending on the amount density of the gasses (lower in the atmosphere has more, higher less) the vibration has a different wavelength that our eyes perceive as light. So reds are happening about 200km in the air with the greens happening about 100km up.
The reds can be somewhat difficult to see with your naked eye but in instances like the second photo they are very vivid to the earthly observer.
#aurora #auroraborealis #nature #nightsky #alaska #northernlights #gooutside #earthsbeauty #lookup #astrophotography #winterwonderland