Colors

Northern Lights ~ Autumn Equinox ~ Aurora Borealis ~ Interior Alaska

ourjrny (Premium member) > albums > Spirit of Delight ~ Autumn Colours ...

Album Info:

"The solar wind is the outermost atmosphere of our sun. The sun is so hot that it boils off its outer layers, and the result is a constant outward expanding very thin gas. This solar wind consists not of atoms and molecules but of protons and electrons (this is called a plasma). Embedded in this solar wind is the magnetic field of the sun. The density is so low that we may well call it a vacuum. However tenuous it is, when this solar wind encounters a planet, it has to flow around it. When this planet has a magnetic field, the solar wind sees this magnetic field as an obstacle, as protons and electrons cannot move freely across a magnetic field. These charged particles are constrained to move almost always only along the magnetic field. Likewise, when they are forced to move in a specific direction, a magnetic field will move with them or will be bent into the direction of the flow. Whether the magnetic field forces the plasma motion or whether the plasma motion bends the magnetic field depends on the strength of the field and the force of the motion. When the solar wind encounters Earth's magnetic field, it will thus bend the field unless the field gets too strong. The strength of the magnetic field falls off with distance from Earth. The distance at which the solar wind and the magnetic field of the Earth balance each other is about 60,000 km away, or 1/10 of the distance to the moon. The inside of this volume that is bounded by the solar wind is called the magnetosphere. At the interface of the solar wind and the magnetosphere, energy can be transfered into the magnetosphere by a number of processes. Most effective is a process called reconnection. When the magnetic field in the solar wind and the magnetic field of the magnetosphere are anti-parallel, the fields can melt together, and the solar wind can drag the magnetospheric field and plasma along. This is very efficient in energizing magnetospheric plasma. Eventually, the magnetosphere responds by dumping electrons and protons into the high latitude upper atmosphere where the energy of the plasma can be dissipated. This then results in aurora." ~ source: University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Insitute ~ http://odin.gi.alaska.edu/FAQ/#curtain

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32 comments

  • Wow!!! Such vivid colour! Thanks for shaing, Sharon!

    said photo of thesouth_31088 thesouth_31088 10 months 3 days ago

  • Beautiful naturalistic phenomenon.Want I would that see face-to-face.So unique and ready shot Sharon.Jozef from Slovakia.

    said photo of joznig joznig 10 months 3 days ago

  • Hi Sharon! This is so beautiful, something I have always dreamed of seeing in my lifetime. Maybe someday? Thanks for sharing all the beauty of Alaska and these wonderful phenomenas that you capture and post for our enjoyment. This is just an awesome sight. Greetings and hugs from, OKLAHOMA. Susie

    said photo of segseven segseven 10 months 3 days ago

  • Beautiful....;)

    said photo of swtsoftcountry swtsoftcountry 10 months 3 days ago

  • Wow! This is awesome! It really must be quiet exciting to see this in real! Thanks - Martina

    said photo of martinat61 martinat61 10 months 3 days ago

  • fantastic!

    said photo of paolagna paolagna 10 months 3 days ago

  • Beautiful Sharon,must be great to see this in real.

    said photo of haneveercoremansshots haneveercoremanssh... 10 months 3 days ago

  • Beautiful addition to a spectacular album!

    said photo of bcw1_ bcw1_ 10 months 3 days ago

  • Beautiful. We sometimes see the Borealis Australis here, but never quite as strongly as this.

    said photo of kelvinnz kelvinnz 10 months 3 days ago

  • A beautiful shot of one of nature's marvels - thanks for sharing

    said photo of coni_fer01 coni_fer01 10 months 3 days ago

  • You captions are like reading the story of this in a National Geographic...this is so intriguing!

    said photo of waynocook waynocook 10 months 2 days ago

  • This is awesone!! Where did you have to go to capture the aurora in all its beauty?? I saw a special on the travel channel that featured Denali.. and I thought of you!!

    said photo of judyscholten judyscholten 10 months 2 days ago

  • PS: The Denali special was just last evening!! It was wonderful!! I was sorry that Randy had to miss it!!

    said photo of judyscholten judyscholten 10 months 2 days ago

  • wow! dramatic glow of green! beautiful shot!

    said photo of song0317 song0317 10 months 2 days ago

  • Sharon, you have a beautiful color of green popping from my computer screen here! Glorious! Tonya

    said photo of Tonyaalex3 Tonyaalex3 10 months 1 days ago

  • very interesting

    said photo of donaldmctim donaldmctim 9 months 27 days ago

  • Gorgeous shot. Pure magic.

    said photo of tibart1 tibart1 9 months 27 days ago

  • Another spectacular scene wonderfully captured!

    said photo of komierowski1900 komierowski1900 9 months 22 days ago

  • Very cool. Im going to have to get on my old computer and find my shots. Not as great as this as all I had at the time was a point and shoot and I did them hand held. But was thrilled that I got some. Great album.

    said photo of 63MissMimi19 63MissMimi19 9 months 20 days ago

  • WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW !!!!! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CLOSE-UP CAPTURE !!!!!

    said photo of shelbycobra1 shelbycobra1 9 months 20 days ago

  • Now I'M speechless Love Faith

    said photo of FaithOosthuizen FaithOosthuizen 9 months 20 days ago

  • Beautiful! ~Deb & Rick~ of Alaska.

    said photo of AKaurora AKaurora 9 months 19 days ago

  • Featured Outdoors Member's Choice Fall Scenics 10 December 2007

    said photo of ourjrny ourjrny 7 months 16 days ago

  • Congratulations my friend on being member choice album -Jay

    said photo of Jayramji Jayramji 7 months 16 days ago

  • Hiiii Sharon!! A thousand congratz on your feature in Outdoors - Fall Scenics!!! A mind-blower of an image ... just gorgeous!!! Congraz, congratz dear girl!!!! Wowzer!!! Now, take some time out today to do some celebrating!!! Very best regards ... Lois

    said photo of gloridays gloridays 7 months 16 days ago

  • Congratulations, Sharon, on Members' Choice Album - Fall Scenics. Thanks for sharing these beauties. I never get to see such activities in the skies. Greetings, Sharon

    said photo of photoop23 photoop23 7 months 16 days ago

  • Im a panamanian woman,,, and I dont understand very well the english language,,,, but I like to be here and your pictures are incredible,,,very beautiful,,,they are parts of my dreams,,,you have a new friend here in Panamá Central America...best regards for you Sharon.

    said photo of yeisla yeisla 6 months 18 days ago

  • MAGNIFICENT PHOTO SEEMS UNREAL

    said photo of clotildeaugusta clotildeaugusta 6 months 6 days ago

  • MAGNIFICENT PHOTO SEEMS UNREAL

    said photo of clotildeaugusta clotildeaugusta 6 months 6 days ago

  • What an amazing photo! Thanks for educating me also!

    said photo of rachel7119 rachel7119 5 months 25 days ago

  • Oh,another beauty!!!You are amazing my friend!

    said photo of torokbel102 torokbel102 2 months 8 days ago

  • Wow! that is beautiful! great photo !

    said photo of michellet13 michellet13 14 days ago

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