Aurora Borealis Gallery

Northern lights

Northern lights. The Northern Lights are created as electrically charged particles from the Solar wind are pulled in toward the magnetic poles by the Earth's magnetic field. As these particles collide with the atoms of gas in the ionosphere about 80km above the ground, they give the atoms energy and they become excited'. The atoms spontaneously release this energy in discrete amounts, resulting in particular colours of light being emitted. Photographed in the Swedish Arctic

© Jeremy Walker

Aurora borealis above snowy islands of Lofoten

Lofoten islands is an archipelago in the county of Nordland, Norway. Is known for a distinctive scenery with dramatic mountains and peaks, open sea and sheltered bays, beaches and untouched lands

© 87davis

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Panorama of the celestial night sky in southwest New Mexico

December 8, 2013 - A 360 degree panorama taken in the pre-dawn hours from the Painted Pony Resort in southwest New Mexico. Visible in this image, from left to right: Arcturus just on the treetop. The zodiacal light rising up from the east. Red Mars embedded in the zodiacal light below Leo. The Milky Way from Puppis and Canis Major at left arching up and across the sky down into Perseus at right. Sirius the brightest star. Orion setting over the main house. Jupiter, the bright object at top centre in Gemini. Aldebaran and the Pleiades setting right of the main house in Taurus. Polaris over the smaller house at right. The Big Dipper pointing to Polaris at upper right. A green glow along the northern horizon above the smaller house that may be some aurora (there was a good display this night from northern latitudes) or may be intense airglow. Green and red bands throughout the sky are airglow. Bands of high cloud also permeate the sky adding natural glows around the stars

© Alan Dyer/Stocktrek Images