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Birthday · July 8, 2012

Volcano and Aurora in Iceland

July 8, 2012

When you were born, the Sun rose on a world that had never seen you before. Since then, every dawn has arrived in a universe subtly altered...

Volcano and Aurora in Iceland

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APOD published July 8, 2012. Credit: Sigurdur H. Stefnisson. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.

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Volcano and Aurora in Iceland

Original APOD · July 8, 2012

Sometimes both heaven and Earth erupt. In Iceland in 1991, the volcano Hekla erupted at the same time that auroras were visible overhead. Hekla, one of the most famous volcanoes in the world, has erupted at least 20 times over the past millennium, sometimes causing great destruction. The last eruption occurred only twelve years ago but caused only minor damage. The green auroral band occurred fortuitously about 100 kilometers above the erupting lava. Is Earth the Solar System's only planet with both auroras and volcanos? Follow: APOD on Facebook or Google+

Image credit: Sigurdur H. Stefnisson

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