                        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.

                                 2024 May 17

                           Aurora Banks Peninsula
                    Image Credit & Copyright: Kavan Chay

   Explanation: This well-composed composite panoramic view looks due
   south from Banks Peninsula near Christchurch on New Zealand's South
   Island. The base of a tower-like rocky sea stack is awash in the
   foreground, with stars of the Southern Cross at the top of the frame
   and planet Earth's south celestial pole near center. Still, captured on
   May 11, vibrant aurora australis dominate the starry southern sea and
   skyscape. The shimmering southern lights were part of extensive auroral
   displays that entertained skywatchers in northern and southern
   hemispheres around planet Earth, caused by intense geomagnetic storms.
   The extreme spaceweather was triggered by the impact of coronal mass
   ejections launched from powerful solar active region AR 3664.

                AuroraSaurus: Report your aurora observations
                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

