北極光 Northern Lights

The northern lights are caused by collisions between fast-moving particles (electrons) from space and the oxygen and nitrogen gas in our atmosphere. These electrons originate in the magnetosphere, the region of space controlled by Earth’s magnetic field. As they rain into the atmosphere, the electrons impart energy to oxygen and nitrogen molecules, making them excited. When the molecules return to their normal state, they release photons, small bursts of energy in the form of light. [1]

[Google Translate:] 北極光的快速移動的粒子（電子）從空間和我們大氣中的氧和氮的氣體之間的碰撞所造成的。這些電子起源於磁層，地球磁場控制的空間區域。下雨到大氣中，因為它們的電子傳遞氧和氮分子的能量，使它們激發。當分子恢復到正常狀態，他們釋放出光子，小爆發的能量以光的形式。

Astronaut Mike Hopkins, aboard the International Space Station, shared this picture of the northern lights on Oct. 9, 2013, saying "The pic doesn't do the northern lights justice. Covered the whole sky. Truly amazing!": [1]

[Google Translate:] 登上國際空間站，宇航員邁克·霍普金斯大學，分享這幅畫在2013年10月9日的北極光，說：“PIC不會做北極光正義。覆蓋了整個天空。真正驚人的！”

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IMAGE SEARCH - NORTHERN LIGHTS

Link: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0311/auroraOK_ewoldt_f1.jpg

Link: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/0208/aurperseids_clark_full.jpg

Link: http://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/GreenlandBlogKoenig/images/greenland_aurora.jpg

Video:

Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). Time lapses in Norway. Polarlichter. Der Himmel brennt.

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[1] http://www.nasa.gov/content/northern-lights-viewed-from-the-international-space-station/#.UnrFPxCBmbc

Happy Halloween - 'Witch Head' Brews Baby Stars 快樂萬聖節 - 女巫頭星群嬰兒恆星

'Witch Head' Brews Baby Stars 

 

 

A witch appears to be screaming out into space in this new image from NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. The infrared portrait shows the Witch Head nebula, named after its resemblance to the profile of a wicked witch. Astronomers say the billowy clouds of the nebula, where baby stars are brewing, are being lit up by massive stars. Dust in the cloud is being hit with starlight, causing it to glow with infrared light, which was picked up by WISE's detectors.
The Witch Head nebula is estimated to be hundreds of light-years away in the Orion constellation, just off the famous hunter's knee.

WISE was recently "awakened" to hunt for asteroids in a program called NEOWISE. The reactivation came after the spacecraft was put into hibernation in 2011, when it completed two full scans of the sky, as planned.

Google Translate 谷歌翻譯:

一個巫婆出現尖叫在這個新的形象進入太空的美國宇航局的寬視野紅外巡天探測器，或明智。紅外線畫像顯示的女巫頭星雲，它的相似而得名一個壞巫婆的檔案。天文學家說，洶湧的雲彩星雲，嬰兒恆星正在醞釀，由大質量恆星被點燃了。星光在雲中的塵埃被擊中，使其煥發出紅外光，WISE探測器被拾起。

女巫頭星雲的估計是幾百光年遠的獵戶星座，只是關閉了著名的獵人的膝蓋。

智最近被“驚醒”追捕小行星名為NEOWISE程序。激活來到飛船後進入休眠狀態，按計劃在2011年，當它完成了兩個完整的天空掃描，。

Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
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Dr Seuss - Halloween is Grinch Night 

蘇斯博士 - 萬聖節之夜聖誕怪傑