computersimulated

Earth Aurora (Auroral X-ray emission observed from Earth's north polar region.)

from Smithsonian Institution

• Picture Esk said:

  I have not seen an auroral event as viewed from space before, very interesting. But if the aurora is a product of the Earth's magnetic field, would it not have been better to have superimposed the image on a plan of the Earth showing the magnetic north pole? Your image shows lines of longitude and latitude from the geographic north pole. If the magnetic north pole was added to the image, then the pattern of the aurora would make more sense, as it appears to lie in an arc at a constant radius from the pole.

• Kimberly Arcand said:

  Thanks for the interesting suggestion. It certainly makes sense from the viewpoint of scientific explanation to do this, but from an esthetic viewpoint we like to limit the number of labels or artificial elements in our main images. As it is, the image of the Earth shown here is simulated. Kim for Chandra. cxcpub@cfa.harvard.edu

• monophysite57-zzz said:

  Fascinating.