Shape of Earthly Aurora

Zoltan stood in awe–then grabbed his camera -and most likely the tripod too for this fantastic shot.    The Auroras were really showing off that night — sweeping the sky with an incredible neon green.    We rely on Zoltan to bring us proof every time the auroras light up northern Alberta.    He has many more magical moments on his website:   http://infocusimagery.ca

DID YOU KNOW?    In the north they are called the Aurora Borealis (Aurora, after the Roman Goddess of Dawn, and Borealis, Greek for “north wind”).    In the south they are called the Aurora Australis (Australis, Latin for “south”).    When solar winds bombard the Earth with ions, these charged particles move along the magnetic field lines toward the magnetic poles.    When these particles strike our atmosphere, they erupt in spectacular displays of light.    If you imagine a giant bar magnet inside the Earth, the ends are where the magnetic north and south (or positive and negative) poles would be.

GET OUT THERE BUT DON’T FORGET YOUR CAMERA — FRESH AIR PHOTOS CAN DISAPPEAR IN A FLASH.    ONCE YOU HAVE UPLOADED YOUR PICTURE, AMAZE AND IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS WHEN THEY SEE IT ON TV (AND THIS VERY BLOG).