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.

                                 2023 July 4
   [2]Planet Venus is pictured in ultraviolet light. The spherical planet
      appears circular in tan colors with hints of blue. Complex cloud
     patterns are evident. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                       Aurora over Icelandic Waterfall
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Cari Letelier

   Explanation: It seemed like the sky exploded. The original idea was to
   photograph an [4]aurora over a waterfall. After waiting for hours under
   opaque [5]clouds, though, hope was running out. Others left. Then,
   unexpectedly, the clouds moved away. Suddenly, [6]particles from a
   large solar magnetic storm were visible impacting the [7]Earth's upper
   atmosphere with full effect. The night sky filled with [8]colors and
   motion in a [9]thrilling auroral display. Struggling to steady the
   camera from [10]high Earthly winds, the 34 exposures that compose the
   featured image were taken. The [11]resulting featured composite image
   shows the photogenic Godafoss (Goðafoss) waterfall in northern
   [12]Iceland in front of a very [13]active aurora in late February. The
   [14]solar surface explosion that expelled the energetic particles
   occurred a [15]few days before. Our Sun is showing an impressive amount
   of [16]surface activity as it approaches [17]solar maximum, indicating
   that more impressive auroras are likely to appear in Earth's
   [18]northern and southern sky over the next few years.

                     Tomorrow's picture: very large map
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [30]Robert Nemiroff ([31]MTU) & [32]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([33]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [34]Specific rights apply.
              [35]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [36]ASD at [37]NASA / [38]GSFC,
                         [39]NASA Science Activation
                           & [40]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2307/WaterfallAurora_Letelier_1600.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/cariletelier
   4. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/aurora/en/
   5. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-are-clouds-58.html
   6. https://annex.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/auroras/happen.html
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/science/atmosphere-layers2.html
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap170306.html
   9. https://www.petsworld.in/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Happy_Cat_Smiling.jpg
  10. https://youtu.be/rKUipxR3bDc
  11. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cto7pd9O_oD/
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceland
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130517.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190526.html
  15. https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?day=25&month=02&year=2023&view=view
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap141022.html
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_maximum
  18. http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/211.fall2000.web.projects/Christina Shaw/WhereCanSee.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230703.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  28. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230704
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230705.html
  30. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  32. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  33. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  36. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  39. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  40. http://www.mtu.edu/