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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

🌌 NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Aurora Over Circle, Alaska

Date: 1997-01-01

Aurora Over Circle, Alaska

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Explanation:

Aurora can make spectacular sights. This particular aurora
was photographed hovering over the town of Circle, Alaska. Although Aurora
might first appear to be moonlit clouds, they only add light to the sky, and hence can not block
background stars from view. Called "northern lights"
in the northern hemisphere of the Earth,
aurora are caused by charged particles streaming from the Sun
entering the Earth's atmosphere. If viewed from space, aurora glow in X-ray light
as well as in the visible! Several WWW sites can tell you if aurora are predicted to be visible in your area.