新西兰上空的绚烂极光

新西兰上空的绚烂极光

BySamuel Chan

A night sky is shown that appears mostly red due to pervasive aurora. In the foreground is covered by watery grasslands. Clouds are visible above the horizon. Thin green aurora are visible toward the top of the frame. In the background one can find the Moon, the LMC, SMC, Venus, a meteor, and the band of our Milky Way galaxy. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
画面显示的是一个被普遍存在的极光染成红色的夜空。前景是一片被水草覆盖的草原。地平线上方可见云层。画面顶部可以看到稀薄的绿色极光。背景中可以看到月球、大麦哲伦星系、小麦哲伦星系、金星、一颗流星以及银河系的中央盘面。有关更多详细信息，请参阅说明。

新西兰上空的稳定极光红弧

新西兰上空的稳定极光红弧

BySamuel Chan

2024年1月3日 A SAR Arc from New Zealand Image Credit & Copyright: Tristian McDonald; Text: Tiffany Lewis (Michigan Tech U.) Explanation: What is that unusual red halo surrounding this aurora? It is a Stable Auroral Red (SAR) arc. SAR arcs are rare and have only been acknowledged and studied since 1954. The featured wide-angle photograph, capturing nearly an entire SAR arc surrounding more common green and red aurora, was taken earlier this month from Poolburn, New Zealand, during an especially energetic geomagnetic storm. Why SAR arcs form remains a topic of research, but is likely related to Earth’s protective magnetic field, a field created by molten iron flowing deep inside the Earth. This magnetic field usually redirects incoming charged particles from the Sun’s wind toward the…

南天的仙女座星系

南天的仙女座星系

ByNASA中文

2022年10月21日 Andromeda in Southern Skies Image Credit & Copyright: Ian Griffin (Otago Museum) Explanation: Looking north from southern New Zealand, the Andromeda Galaxy never gets more than about five degrees above the horizon. As spring comes to the southern hemisphere, in late September Andromeda is highest in the sky around midnight though. In a single 30 second exposure this telephoto image tracked the stars to capture the closest large spiral galaxy from Mount John Observatory as it climbed just over the rugged peaks of the south island’s Southern Alps. In the foreground, stars are reflected in the still waters of Lake Alexandrina. Also known as M31, the Andromeda Galaxy is one of the brightest objects in the Messier catalog, usually visible to the unaided eye…

南天的火箭发射

南天的火箭发射

ByNASA中文

2020 February 28 South Celestial Rocket Launch Image Credit & Copyright: Brendan Gully Explanation: At sunset on December 6 a Rocket Lab Electron rocket was launched from a rotating planet. With multiple small satellites on board it departed on a mission to low Earth orbit dubbed Running Out of Fingers from Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand’s north island. The firey trace of the Electron’s graceful launch arc is toward the south in this southern sea and skyscape. Drifting vapor trails and rocket exhaust plumes catch the sunlight even as the sky grows dark though, the setting Sun still shinning at altitude along the rocket’s trajectory. Fixed to a tripod, the camera’s perspective nearly aligns the peak of the rocket arc with the South Celestial Pole,…