Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2024 May 12
   [2]Red and purple aurora appear over a field in Poland. A tree is seen
     to the right, and a person stands in the distance holding a glowing
      phone. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                           Red Aurora over Poland
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Mariusz Durlej

   Explanation: Northern lights don't usually reach this far south.
   Magnetic chaos in the Sun's [4]huge Active Region 3664, however,
   produced a surface explosion that sent a [5]burst of electrons,
   protons, and more massive, charged nuclei into the [6]Solar System. A
   few days later, that [7]coronal mass ejection (CME) impacted the Earth
   and [8]triggered auroras that are being reported unusually far from our
   planet's [9]north and south poles. The free sky show [10]might not be
   over -- the sunspot rich [11]AR3664 has ejected even more [12]CMEs that
   might also impact the [13]Earth tonight or tomorrow. That active region
   is now [14]near the Sun's edge, though, and will soon be rotating away
   from the [15]Earth. Pictured, a [16]red and [17]rayed aurora was
   captured in a single 6-second exposure from [18]Racibórz, [19]Poland
   early last night. The photographer's friend, seeing an aurora [20]for
   the first time, is visible in the distance also taking images of the
   [21]beautifully colorful nighttime sky.

          Gallery: [22]Global Aurora from Solar Active Region 6443
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
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    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [38]Specific rights apply.
            [39]NASA Web Privacy, [40]Accessibility, [41]Notices;
                A service of: [42]ASD at [43]NASA / [44]GSFC,
                         [45]NASA Science Activation
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2405/AuroraPoland_Durlej_1940.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/durlej dot mariusz at gmail dot com
   4. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240511.html
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031029.html
   6. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/facts/
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection
   8. https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.431368006258449&type=3
   9. https://climatekids.nasa.gov/polar-temperatures/
  10. https://www.universetoday.com/166942/if-youve-never-seen-an-aurora-before-this-might-be-your-chance/
  11. https://skyandtelescope.org/online-gallery/ar3664-ginormous-active-sunspot-area/
  12. https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/what-coronal-mass-ejection-or-cme/
  13. https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/geomagnetic-storming-likely-persist-weekend
  14. https://www.spaceweather.com/images2024/11may24/hmi1898.gif
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap161010.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220220.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080101.html
  18. https://youtu.be/bMf--MCsLLY
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland
  20. https://as2.ftcdn.net/v2/jpg/01/89/49/89/1000_F_189498933_OeutsN0mMlzJGaJZJvkXIsoSCUCFIO7W.jpg
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231227.html
  22. https://www.facebook.com/media/set?set=a.431368006258449&type=3
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240511.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240512
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240513.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  42. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  45. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/