Yep, I want to see the aurora borealis, but since it is only visible the closer in the Northern Hemisphere you get to the poles, I'm afraid the chances of this Southern Belle aren't very good. But why put things on your must see list that you can walk out the front door and see any time.
This amazing phenomenon was named in 1621 after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and combined with the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas.
The Northern Lights have been described as bands, curtain or streamers of colored light. In the Southern Hemisphere the lights are called the Aurora Australis. Here is a short explanation of the science behind this natural wonder:The sun gives off high-energy charged particles (also called ions) that travel out into space at speeds of 300 to 1200 kilometres per second. A cloud of such particles is called a plasma. The stream of plasma coming from the sun is known as the solar wind. As the solar wind interacts with the edge of the earth's magnetic field, some of the particles are trapped by it and they follow the lines of magnetic force down into the ionosphere, the section of the earth's atmosphere that extends from about 60 to 600 kilometres above the earth's surface. When the particles collide with the gases in the ionosphere they start to glow, producing the spectacle that we know as the auroras, northern and southern. The array of colours consists of red, green, blue and violet.
I'm sure you'll agree that seeing the Aurora Borealis would be out of this world.
Well I've never seen them and what's my excuse, I'm not that far away from them. Wish to see them once too, in my lifetime. I think its all the mosquitos and black flies up north. Don't wanna be there!!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! Let's ALL go...you only live once!
ReplyDeleteI saw the aurora borealis several times in Michigan. Not nearly as magnificent as the far north but an impressive and beautiful undulating light display. Our weather reporter would tell us when to go out and look for it. For a time, it was thought that the rays were coming from deep inside the earth. Nice pictures!
ReplyDeleteWe'll catch a very subdued version of them every so often around here, but never the brilliant colours displayed in these photos.
ReplyDeleteWait...I'm coming, too!
ReplyDeleteoh WOW! It's stunning, beautiful, magnificent, girl...no words can describe the beauty of that!
ReplyDeleteExcellent idea. That's sooooo beautiful! I wanna go too! [whine] Who's got an airplane that can hold, oh, about 30 people or so? I don't *do* commercial airplanes anymore. So, let's go! ♥ ∞
ReplyDeletePlease make room for Avery and me. We want to be in on the adventure. These are beautiful shots. You guys come up with so many fun things. I'm sorry I don't have a private jet at this time, but I'm sure Miss LadySlipper has hers ready for a fun trip.
ReplyDeletePlease make room for Avery and me. We want to be in on the adventure. These are beautiful shots. You guys come up with so many fun things. I'm sorry I don't have a private jet at this time, but I'm sure Miss LadySlipper has hers ready for a fun trip.
ReplyDeleteOooh ... I've been able to see them in northern Canada, and they ARE magnificent! And sometimes they make A SOUND. That's what I couldn't get over ... if you ever get a chance to be where you might see them, do it.
ReplyDelete:-)
I saw them one time as I was traveling Canada with a customer. Pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteYou and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving Holiday. Strider
You lucky people that have seen the Northern Lights...just know I am jealous! And Linda, I had no idea that there was sound involved too...wow!
ReplyDeleteThe rest of you who like me haven't had the experience...we'll have to organize a tour to Finland or some other romantic netherworld for our own viewing.