9 C! P% J! ^) Y8 V: t, q - h* O& W6 Z; m: wtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb 8 |- N+ n ]1 v1 jArctic Auroras & r a9 q* N( g# t9 H1 Q/ utvb now,tvbnow,bttvb/ _. Y: c. F1 Y+ P4 G* _1 d+ S2 p
Northern lights dance over the Lyngan Alps in a picture taken Tuesday night near Tromsø, Norway. The brilliant auroras were triggered by a coronal mass ejection, or CME, that hit our planet Tuesday morning. A CME is a cloud of superheated gas and charged particles hurled off the sun. " v! v! S" G. T) t# g3 W$ `/ h公仔箱論壇5.39.217.76! {6 P8 S% e0 D5 x) ^0 I! {
On Monday, space-weather scientists reported that an especially strong solar flare had erupted from an active region on the sun, followed by the huge CME that came barreling toward our planet. The burst of activity triggered the strongest solar storm experienced since October 2003, according to experts at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado. ) v9 B! U7 E: t! o7 v8 t, f. _tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb 5 {0 X' ?6 |) O. a5.39.217.76When a CME hits Earth, the charged solar particles can interact with gases in our atmosphere to produce the northern and southern lights. Sky-watchers were put on alert for intense auroras Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. 3 h5 u' a% Z: Z+ N6 S3 nTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb- q# h% ^; [1 i* g ' ^) x \' c; a0 y/ g
, O8 p+ `7 a( z. F" q& S0 l# F- rTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Aurora Storm ' \7 }" b. e7 I5.39.217.765.39.217.767 N" X, u: S% O4 i, t' t
Green auroras hang like storm clouds in the skies near Tromsø, Norway, on Wednesday.TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。3 }/ V2 y4 a N
6 j# b' B/ P. }& h
This week's solar storm was strong enough to cause sporadic radio blackouts in high-latitude regions, spurring some airlines to reroute polar flights. Still, the storm is considered to be moderate and isn't expected to cause major disturbances to ground- or space-based equipment, experts said. ) F6 f* D0 n! O9 ^TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 : _3 q2 O9 X1 H% V: OTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 5 G9 e1 I+ L) J2 Otvb now,tvbnow,bttvb5.39.217.76! X& Y% v1 d! Y, ? N4 A
Aurora Hunting 1 F3 _1 m. }( h. wTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 ; i4 w3 \4 a% {9 [6 N5.39.217.76A multicolored blade of light seems poised to strike over a snowy forest in Ivalo, Finland, on January 22. Late last week a NASA satellite witnessed a solar flare and CME from a different active region on the sun. That solar event triggered a round of auroras over the weekend, including the display captured above.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb5 B7 h) A1 G8 s9 l+ ^
+ O" c1 w5 t/ j# X, b5 u2 N+ a
"At approximately 19:00 hrs the night sky over our Guest house was illuminated by the most spectacular display of Northern Lights, which lasted for several hours," photographer Andy Keen wrote on Spaceweather.com.tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb b4 d( d" d+ k$ S6 t
5.39.217.765 p8 j7 H0 U4 F) h4 D
"The temperatures plummeted to a chilly -25 degrees Centigrade [-13 degrees Fahrenheit]—cold enough to make our lenses freeze and turn our camera bodies white." ' J( s- N2 V6 Q6 B $ D, P( | a! O4 i4 P公仔箱論壇 / s/ S+ Y+ q: k3 `6 v6 D9 @5.39.217.76tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb* R9 i! N, R4 S0 E U: p
Aurora Trek公仔箱論壇' r M! h% _$ u y. A
/ i- s; G" K2 q+ Y+ KTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。A snowmobiler stops to admire the northern lights in Finnish Lapland on January 24. [, |; X, ~+ A$ }7 [ - I( h$ r, y0 e H+ V/ r( @5.39.217.76Improved computer models and a fleet of sun-watching satellites are helping space-weather experts better predict when CMEs will strike Earth—which also allows for more precise aurora forecasts. # w; v2 K' h5 Z! u; O: Z公仔箱論壇 ; ]5 R+ K0 v9 G' {; e7 n8 Q公仔箱論壇"We went out with snowmobiles to wait for the incoming storm," photographer Antti Pietikäinen wrote on Spaceweather.com. "Show started slowly, and after 15 minutes the landscape was green!" 2 M7 |' O) c* v9 G# J# y5.39.217.76 ( A; V9 @+ j6 V/ Q9 K+ B" _公仔箱論壇6 Q T) r% s9 I- i$ Z
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 X! t% P6 J3 A7 b9 h8 X
Aurora on Ice 0 ?; O& y; @9 Z1 N8 s9 k5 G& V8 _TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 - k" ~* N- N5 E& d N5.39.217.76Northern lights flow over the snow-dusted mountains near Tromsø, Norway, on January 21. The stitched panorama picture also shows the auroras reflected in smooth ice, which is "normally ... covered by snow in winter time," according to photographer Thilo Bubek.5.39.217.761 l" E d# d4 Z6 |; I
% R4 ~2 i6 n# `1 R & L7 S$ d1 c4 _3 P# g" t7 } ' E" I% g% K6 J# b/ U+ wtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbGhostly Glow公仔箱論壇 `/ L! }) T: C, B7 I" Q% f
tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb" X* I9 ]+ ~* M/ N
Curtains of auroras shimmer over the snow covered forests of Norilsk, Russia, on January 22. 0 y% c; z. K8 f2 O( d# ] 0 S C& y1 P) S; b* Q. a: bAlthough auroras are most common closer to the Poles, strong geomagnetic storms can trigger the light shows in lower latitudes. (See aurora pictures: "Rare Northern Lights Seen in U.S. South.") # @1 n: R$ @3 `3 @9 J2 U- a0 fTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 ! v* W0 b5 J$ R% r1 M& v; Q公仔箱論壇For instance, during the biggest solar storm on record—the 1859 Carrington Event—northern lights were reported as far south as Cuba and Hawaii, while southern lights were seen as far north as Santiago, Chile. 5 L) O; e$ B7 `8 u" c , }9 a0 \6 P) i' d2 d , d% w% N: e# W! O9 Rtvb now,tvbnow,bttvb ; v; h9 z) y5 ^. Q6 c2 vTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Green Lantern( u# K3 w7 \, ^, Y# q
tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb( \5 @9 I' H! q" F \6 B5 H
Bright green auroras light up the night sky in a picture taken near Tromsø, Norway, on January 21.( i- c1 q: X7 Y( ?9 |8 a
公仔箱論壇, _! _4 O) @/ ^. g
The colors of auroras depend on the types of gases in Earth's atmosphere being affected by a solar storm. In most cases, auroral lights come from oxygen being "excited"—given extra electrical energy—during the collisions of gas atoms with solar particles. The charged-up oxygen releases the extra energy as green light." p+ z& G( }% j
tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb/ q0 q) y9 n2 P+ A. ]. V& t7 l2 G TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 D% f% {9 |; e
tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb' ~% M! u% _5 D
Wings of Lights * P. B7 F/ @& f4 g% k* l3 @5.39.217.76' D, i! k' R% ^8 H. z% i' f
Bright auroras seem to spread like wings over the mountains outside of Tromsø, Norway, on January 22. ; U$ o" o0 I$ r! i ( p* b* n; c; M* `! C5.39.217.76"This was amazing," photographer Bjørn Jørgensen wrote on Spaceweather.com. "It was a wonderful experience to see these stunning auroras."tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb6 F3 H6 E; o: s! D# ]
TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 B$ [ L7 x! o4 _# m - |" G/ c3 k& y* T0 w
" z) x& M8 V5 @, Y0 BTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。Abisko Auroras8 g" p- U" W3 G1 P0 {& l
tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb4 f0 V u$ w: x: R
Participants in a photo expedition work to capture the northern lights in Sweden's Abisko National Park on January 24.5.39.217.76- e' w- a5 b/ Q5 ^3 u
5.39.217.76' ?+ S2 I. b% T" u
"The auroras began as we were eating dinner and continued into the very early hours of the morning," expedition leader Chad Blakley told Spaceweather.com. "Words can not describe the excitement we shared and the sights we saw."- Y/ j1 o4 O9 I
% C% s# @8 |) x, B$ Q( j9 h公仔箱論壇TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。& ^, k! I4 v g. e$ Q1 i8 D
5.39.217.76" `: O$ j. M' \( `* X
Iceland Auroras公仔箱論壇' L+ [- h% m/ H5 f- a* y6 X. q
l* K$ M& [& I3 x/ R( x
Green auroras flow over snow-covered gravestones on January 22 at Thingvellir, a historic site in southern tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb9 x+ N9 ~4 }- u1 ? x$ p K
2 D2 d+ y1 b( V$ b( Y* @# O A5.39.217.76TVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。$ Q9 E" o; s0 ]0 n
+ |* G+ v w, Vtvb now,tvbnow,bttvbSeeing a Solar Flare ) f M0 ?* e4 K0 a, s& Utvb now,tvbnow,bttvb5.39.217.761 f V" [0 [: X8 J6 l2 p/ [
Image courtesy SDO/NASA: V$ Q, `8 \5 i2 {
5.39.217.760 l4 U& X: r) u- Q" g
A composite picture from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the January 19 solar flare erupting from the sun. The picture includes data from multiple wavelengths of ultraviolet light, to represent the different layers of the sun's turbulent atmosphere.5.39.217.76- H% w9 g+ k1 g$ l9 N
2 c0 D! G9 X9 |3 nTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。 7 `' |! X% Z" O+ E , i |9 \' M% \/ a; }1 otvb now,tvbnow,bttvbAurora Ahoy5.39.217.76% n' H! ~* _( b+ Y- s
7 Z; _% K' N% m9 t# f8 a
A blanket of green hangs over the coast of Bø in northern Norway in a picture taken January 6.* }- L6 M* E, X* ]3 _
5.39.217.76" E' c& N+ s8 Y! Q' i% b
In general, auroras have been ramping up over the past year as the sun has approached what's known as solar maximum, a period of more intense activity in our star's natural 11-year cycle. $ x- y! Q. d9 h" g+ j公仔箱論壇tvb now,tvbnow,bttvb' `1 y5 [6 B M
Scientists predict the sun will reach solar max in 2013, and that we'll continue to see more frequent and intense flares, CMEs, and other eruptions that—when aimed at Earth—might not only supercharge auroras but could also carry risks for airplanes, satellites, and the power grid. % ]/ D# `$ y$ z7 f4 B, k+ i9 s5 H公仔箱論壇 0 ~3 _6 w1 A3 _/ H' v& ]( mTVBNOW 含有熱門話題,最新最快電視,軟體,遊戲,電影,動漫及日常生活及興趣交流等資訊。(Photos from National Geographic)