Celestial curtains (i)
The Van Allen belts are busy tonight. At half past midnight, the downpour of solar wind was drowning out all but the brightest stars. Even in an area such as mine, where the 'pollution' by ambient artificial light is considerable, the drifting, dancing curtains of green and occasional red light are a spectacular view, stretching from zenith to horizon in almost every direction.
This kind of view is normally reserved for people north of the Arctic Circle. Perhaps the Circle has moved south for the winter, or there may be some Aurorean border dispute going on high above our heads, but nevertheless the sky was painted in psychedelic flowing patterns capable of driving any night photographer out of his skull trying to take pictures of it all.
Update: I've posted slightly higher rez versions in the gallery on my website. [11-11-2004]
Comments
Monday 08/11/04, 15:58
Oh, wow. This is so beautiful. I never seen this in real life - guess I have to visit you. The closest I ever got to to this was in the seventies, when due to an hyper-active sun -remember the problems aboard skylab?- the sky was glowing red at night. A big german newspaper, not known for taking great care of reality by reputation, has been running panic-stories of the earth turning upside down for a couple of days. Maybe I should read them, tho usually they are only full of crap.
Monday 08/11/04, 19:33
the world is coming to an end!
Monday 08/11/04, 21:37
Magnificent. I've never seen this in person either.
Monday 08/11/04, 23:49
Wow. It's beautiful.
Tuesday 09/11/04, 08:12
This brings back memories of an ex sweetheart from above the Arctic circle ... makes me smile.
Tuesday 09/11/04, 17:29
Harald: I have to admit that this is a very rare sight at my latitude. It'll take a journey of some 730km or more to the north to make it a more common experience. As for the upside-down turning of the Earth, popular media certainly do set records for grasping scientific topics and misunderstanding them to pieces. It's the Earth's magnetic field that twists and turns every so many tens or hundreds of thousand years or so. This kind of thing would most likely cause auroras in strange places, since the Van Allen belts would be twisted totally out of shape, but there's really no reason to buy spacesuits and parachutes for that reason - we're not going to fall off ... I think ;)
Motley: Hmm, I lived up north a few (twenty-five) years ago, smack dab in the middle of the land of Northern Lights and the Midnight Sun ... Moved south with my parents when I was ten though. Can't have been me then? ;)
Harry and DrSusan: The photos really stand no chance of doing this phenomenon any justice at all. I don't think any photos can. It really is a must-see kind of experience.
Tuesday 09/11/04, 17:41
Nope, don't think so, unless you work in a rocket and balloon launching facility somewhere up there? One of the best places to watch the Aurora from, or so he tells me. Maybe one day, if I develop enough blubber to withstand the cold.
Tuesday 09/11/04, 17:47
Hmm, I think I would have noticed. Both the rockets and balloons, and certainly the sweetheart angle ;)
Wednesday 10/11/04, 21:22
I am not really worried about falling off... :-) I am also certain a lady B. sweetheart experience would be very present in your mind - MUST have been someone else.
Thursday 11/11/04, 00:13
You know, Harald, I really do think I would have noticed. *sigh* Wishful thinking ... ;)
Thursday 11/11/04, 03:04
Ah but you havent been to enzed :)
Thursday 11/11/04, 08:24
No, that's another bit of wishful thinking, but it's a long, long swim indeed ;)