Aurora Over White Dome Geyser
Sometimes both heaven and Earth erupt. Colorful aurorae erupted unexpectedly a few years ago, with green aurora appearing near the horizon and brilliant bands of red aurora blooming high overhead. A bright Moon lit the foreground of this picturesque scene, while familiar stars could be seen far in the distance.
With planning, the careful astrophotographer shot this image mosaic in the field of White Dome Geyser in Yellowstone National Park in the western US. Sure enough, just after midnight, White Dome erupted -- spraying a stream of water and vapor many meters into the air.
Geyser water is heated to steam by scalding magma several kilometers below, and rises through rock cracks to the surface. About half of all known geysers occur in Yellowstone National Park. Although the geomagnetic storm that created these aurorae has since subsided, eruptions of White Dome Geyser continue about every 30 minutes.
Image & info via APOD
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap161002.html
Image Credit & Copyright: Robert Howell
Reference:
https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/1999/ast29dec99_1/
#nasa #naturalphenomena #aurora
Breath taking , Yellowstone / Icelandic vision.
ReplyDeleteHey Pam Adger just sayin' it is totally time to plan a trip to Iceland. (I've never seen the aurora at Yellowstone, but Iceland gives you both geysers and aurorae on a regular basis.)
ReplyDeleteAre you coming with me?
ReplyDeleteIt would take very little coercion to get me to go back to Iceland, Pam Adger. If you decide to go to Yellowstone, I'll just drive/fly up.
ReplyDeleteIt's not usual for auroras to be visible over Yellowstone but we will absolutely be visiting Yellowstone next year.
ReplyDelete"Although the geomagnetic storm that created these aurorae has since subsided, eruptions of White Dome Geyser continue about every 30 minutes." <-- As if they were somehow coupled. snerk.
ReplyDeleteEclipse around Casper Wyoming next August 2017
ReplyDelete