- On Top of the World
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If our eyes could see in the ultraviolet -- and if we were positioned in
polar orbit -- this is what we would see from space when the aurora
borealis is acting up. These radiant emissions, aka northern lights,
occur in the high latitudes and frequently appear as luminous bands,
streamers and curtains of light visible on Earth. The cause of all this
commotion is energy from the sun acting on electrons in the magnetosphere
which, energized and accelerated by the solar wind, bombard oxygen
molecules in the upper atmosphere causing them to luminesce. Often,
storms and other events on the surface of the sun trigger a burst of
auroral activity. The event depicted in this CSI was the result of a solar
storm that occurred in early January, 1997. For a better look, check out
this gif animation from the folks at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Photo courtesy of NASA.
