                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    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 November 25

                            Little Planet Aurora
                    Image Credit & Copyright: Victor Lima

   Explanation: Immersed in an eerie greenish light, this rugged little
   planet appears to be home to stunning water falls and an impossibly
   tall mountain. It's planet Earth of course. On the night of November 9
   the nadir-centered 360 degree mosaic was captured by digital camera
   from the Kirkjufell mountain area of western Iceland. Curtains of
   shimmering Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights provide the pale greenish
   illumination. The intense auroral display was caused by solar activity
   that rocked Earth's magnetosphere in early November and produced strong
   geomagnetic storms. Kirkjufell mountain itself stands at the top of the
   stereographic projection's circular horizon. Northern hemisphere
   skygazers will recognize the familiar stars of the Big Dipper just
   above Kirkjufell's peak. At lower right the compact Pleiades star
   cluster and truly giant planet Jupiter also shine in this little
   planet's night sky.

                   Tomorrow's picture: The Surface of 67P
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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