                        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 June 12
      Purple striped aurora cover a star filled sky. Mountain peaks are
    visible on the sides, as well as a futuristic looking building on the
    right side. City lights are visible in the valley down below. Please
             see the explanation for more detailed information.

                      Aurora over Karkonosze Mountains
                  Image Credit & Copyright: Daniel Koszela

   Explanation: It was the first time ever. At least, the first time this
   photographer had ever seen aurora from his home mountains. And what a
   spectacular aurora it was. The Karkonosze Mountains in Poland are
   usually too far south to see any auroras. But on the amazing night of
   May 10 - 11, purple and green colors lit up much of the night sky, a
   surprising spectacle that also appeared over many mid-latitude
   locations around the Earth. The featured image is a composite of six
   vertical exposures taken during the auroral peak. The futuristic
   buildings on the right are part of a meteorological observatory located
   on the highest peak of the Karkonosze Mountains. The purple color is
   primarily due to Sun-triggered, high-energy electrons impacting
   nitrogen molecules in Earth's atmosphere. Our Sun is reaching its
   maximum surface activity over the next two years, and although many
   more auroras are predicted, most will occur over regions closer to the
   Earth's poles.

                       Tomorrow's picture: star swirl
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

