Gregory's ServerSo many beautiful aurora photos going around right now. Wonder where those amazing colors come from? Here's a helpful breakdown.
When you split up the light of a typical aurora, it looks like this.
Many colors from just nitrogen & oxygen!
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/aurora-tutorial #aurora #space #science #nature
Colors of an aurora depend not only on which element is emitting light, but also on *where* it is.
Oxygen at high altitudes glows red; at lower altitudes it glows green. Purple nitrogen is lower still.
Atoms are complicated creatures!
#aurora #science #nature #physics