Subj : Daily APOD Report
To   : All
From : Alan Ianson
Date : Sun May 12 2024 09:31:02

                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2024 May 12
   Red and purple aurora appear over a field in Poland. A tree is seen to
   the right, and a person stands in the distance holding a glowing phone.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                           Red Aurora over Poland
                  Image Credit & Copyright: Mariusz Durlej

   Explanation: Northern lights don't usually reach this far south.
   Magnetic chaos in the Sun's huge Active Region 3664, however, produced
   a surface explosion that sent a burst of electrons, protons, and more
   massive, charged nuclei into the Solar System. A few days later, that
   coronal mass ejection (CME) impacted the Earth and triggered auroras
   that are being reported unusually far from our planet's north and south
   poles. The free sky show might not be over -- the sunspot rich AR3664
   has ejected even more CMEs that might also impact the Earth tonight or
   tomorrow. That active region is now near the Sun's edge, though, and
   will soon be rotating away from the Earth. Pictured, a red and rayed
   aurora was captured in a single 6-second exposure from Racib+|rz, Poland
   early last night. The photographer's friend, seeing an aurora for the
   first time, is visible in the distance also taking images of the
   beautifully colorful nighttime sky.

            Gallery: Global Aurora from Solar Active Region 6443
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
                  NASA Web Privacy, Accessibility, Notices;
                      A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,
                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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