Aurora Timelapse Over Italian Alps

Aurora Timelapse Over Italian Alps

Video Credit & Copyright:
Cristian Bigontina

Explanation:
Did you see last night’s aurora?

This question was relevant around much of the world a few days ago because a powerful auroral storm became
visible unusually far from the Earth’s poles.

The cause was a giant
X-class solar flare on Tuesday
that launched energetic
electrons and protons into the
Solar System,
connecting to the Earth via our planet’s
magnetic field.

A red glow of these particles striking
oxygen atoms high in

Earth’s atmosphere pervades the frame, while
vertical streaks dance.

The featured video shows a one-hour timelapse as seen from
Cortina d’Ampezzo over
Alps Mountain
peaks in northern
Italy.

Stars from our
Milky Way Galaxy dot the background while
streaks from airplanes and satellites punctuate the foreground.

The high recent activity of
our Sun is likely to
continue to produce
picturesque auroras
over Earth during the next year or so.