August 11, 2016
The universe is under no obligation to make sense to us, and yet here you are — a collection of atoms that somehow learned to think, to...
Perseid, Aurora, and Noctilucent Clouds
Birthday · August 11, 2016
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APOD published August 11, 2016. Credit: Göran Strand. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Night skies over northern Sweden can hold some tantalizing sights in August. Gazing toward the Big Dipper, this beautiful skyscape captures three of them in a single frame taken last August 12/13. Though receding from northern skies for the season, night shining or noctilucent clouds are hanging just above the horizon. Extreme altitude icy condensations on meteoric dust, they were caught here just below an early apparition of a lovely green auroral band, also shining near the edge of space. The flash of a Perseid meteor near the peak of the annual shower punctuates the scene. In fact, this year's Perseid shower will peak in the coming days, offering a continuing chance for a night sky photographer's hat trick.
Image credit: Göran Strand