These incredible photographs of the aurora borealis captured the moment the lights formed the outline of a phoenix – the giant fire-eating bird common in many ancient mythologies.

 With outstretched wings and a striking bird-shaped profile, the image – captured by photographer Hallgrimur P Helgason – wowed stargazers in Kaldarsel.

Mr Helgason, 64, said that the bird showed up in the night sky an hour after he got there and started snapping.

He said: ‘It’s really a thrill shooting the aurora, especially when they are so playful like they were that night. I have to admit that I always get an adrenalin kick when the lights burst out like that – that particular shot was the top one of the night.’

He uses a camera and tripod to photograph the lights, and advises snapping in the dark away from city light pollution and never using a flash.

He said the Northern Lights were mainly showing in green and yellow colours when he was shooting that night but also sported red and blue, suggesting the aurora was strong. (Source)


The Northern Lights feature prominently in Norse mythology. One legend suggests that the lights were reflections or glow from the shields and armour of the Valkyrie, female warriors who would choose who may die in battle and who may live to fight another day. Dying in battle seemed to occupy Norse mythology quite a bit and the Aurora was also believed to be “Bifrost Bridge”, a glowing and pulsating arch which led those fallen in battle to the warriors final resting place in Valhalla.


Saami indigenous people believe these lights are their ancestors visiting them. The Salteaus Indians of eastern Canada and the Kwakiutl and Tlingit of Southeastern Alaska interpreted the northern lights as the dancing of human spirits. The Inuits who lived on the lower Yukon River believed that the aurora was the dance of animal spirits, especially those of deer, wolf, seals, salmon and beluga. In Finland, a mystical fox was thought to have created the aurora, its bushy tail spraying snow and throwing sparks into the sky.

 Marja-Terttu Karlsson, who resides in Pajala, Swedish Lapland, did not realise how lucky she had been when she was out to photograph the northern lights last week.Only when she uploaded the images to the computer, she recognised the familiar shape that appeared right before her eyes:

– I thought "oh my God, it resembles a fox or a wolf or something." I didn't know when I photographed what I got. It was amazing, she says.

Northern lights are common in the arctic region of the northern hemisphere and are caused by the solar wind colliding with the atmosphere. Recent years northern lights have been getting more common, caused by increased solar activity.

Ms Karlssons picture of the celestial animal has since become a viral success. It has been shared thousands of times on Facebook, but has also raised suspicion. Several people have been in contact with the photographer herself, to question the authenticity of the picture. – They think it is fake, but I can assure all sceptics that it's genuine, Ms Karlsson says to SVT (Source)

On Saturday April 20 of this year, two sunspots suddenly formed in the sun’s northern hemisphere. The sunspots were given the names AR1726 and AR1727. No one knows if they will erupt or flare - that remains to be seen. Also unknown is whether the spots will be pointing toward Earth when or if that happens.

This near and next the sun will be spurting all manner of plasma. Sunspots are bursting forth in solar flares and coronal mass ejections every few days. A few of them have shot straight at the Earth, though none have proved to be stronger than a medium-class flare and are not dangerous.

Although they don’t tend to do much damage, they do make the aurora borealis really brilliant. The most recent spectacular one to delight us occurred on April 11th. It was an M-Class flare of around a magnitude of 6.5 that jolted the Northern Lights. It was the strongest solar flare and CME this year so far, NASA said.

“AR1726 is the fastest-growing and, so far, the most active. It is crackling with C-class flares and seems capable of producing even stronger M-class eruptions. Because of the sunspot's central location on the solar disk, any explosions this weekend will be Earth-directed. Stay tuned,” according to Spaceweather.com.

Below is what happened after just such a sunspot erupted and ignited the aurora borealis on March 17, 2013. It was photographed by Göran Strand from Östersund, Sweden. The aurora resulting from the CME’s hit onto Earth’s magnetic field and was captured with an all-sky camera.

The solar storm that swept past Earth over the weekend didn't disrupt any power grids, but it did turn on the auroral lights for skywatchers over a wide swath of North America, extending at least as far down as Arkansas.

SpaceWeather.com cataloged stunning photos from the usual places in northern climes, including Canadian provinces as well as the northern tier of the United States. But this particular solar storm — sparked by last Thursday's big coronal mass ejection, or CME — didn't stop there. Photographers sent in pictures from Arkansas as well as Ohio, Nebraska, Utah, California and other locales well south of the usual places. There were auroral images as well from Scotland, Hungary, and yes, from New Zealand, Tasmania and the South Pole at the other end of the world.

Observers knew they were in for something big, due to the fact that the flare associated with the solar eruption reached an extreme level of X1.4 on the classification scale for solar outbursts. The radio blast from a sunspot region known as AR 1520 resulted in a strong radio blackout for some high-frequency communication systems, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.

Extreme solar storms have been known to knock out electrical grids as well as satellites, but this one apparently had no ill effects. Today, the prediction center said the stormy space weather "is finally showing signs of weakening."

"No further significant activity has occurred, and while Region 1520 has become less of a threat, it still has the potential for further activity," the center reported.

The sun is heading toward the high point of its 11-year activity cycle, with the maximum expected next year. That means this weekend's storm could just be a foretaste of what's ahead for aurora-watchers and space weather forecasters over the coming months. In the meantime, check out this gallery featuring the latest pictures from the world's greatest light show:
Source

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A giant solar flare shot out of a sunspot Thursday, hitting Earth with a powerful burst of X-ray and ultraviolet radiation. Solar researchers expect a moderate geomagnetic storm to follow and strike Earth this weekend, causing satellite glitches, power disruptions and colorful auroras possibly as far south as Washington D.C.

At 12:11 p.m. EDT, the flare began unleashing about a billion hydrogen bombs’ worth of energy. Radiation temporarily jammed some radio frequencies for about an hour.

Right behind the flare is a belch of solar atmosphere called a coronal mass ejection, or CME, which is now traveling toward Earth at about 3 million mph. The resulting solar storm at Earth, which NASA predicts will be a G2 to G4 (on a scale of one to five), should start Saturday morning and conclude by Sunday’s end.

“It’s the biggest of the summer so far,” said heliophysicist Alex Young of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “This could produce auroras as far south as northern California and Alabama [and] into central UK and Europe or southern New Zealand.”

“At its worst it could lead to some intermittent satellite/radio navigation problems, surface charging on satellites and power grid fluctuations,” Young wrote in an email to Wired. “But the larger storm is less likely, these are just rough estimates.”

Every solar cycle, which is an 11-year period that ramps up activity toward the end, produces between 150 and 180 large flares and related CMEs. This year has been one of the most active in recorded space weather with a flare almost four times larger striking a glancing blow to Earth in March.

If and when a solar megastorm hits Earth — and there’s a 1-in-8 chance by 2020 — the outcome would be much different. A powerful CME could temporarily peel away a significant portion of Earth’s protective magnetic shield, exposing satellites, power grids and other electronics to disruptive magnetic fields and radiation.

“We have more to expect from the sun through late 2013, perhaps through the beginning of 2014,” Young said. “That’s when we’ll reach solar maximum and see we’ll continue to see more solar eruptions.”


Image: An orbiting spacecraft called the Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this view of the sun about an hour before it launched an X-class solar flare. The purple coloring shows the strength of magnetic fields of the sun. (NASA/SDO/AIA) [high-res]
SOURCE: Wired

Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have located where the sounds associated with the northern lights are created. The source of the auroral sounds that have been described in folktales and by wilderness wanderers was recently discovered. It has been found that they are formed about 70 meters above the ground level in the measured case.

Researchers were able to locate the sound sources by installing three separate microphones in an observation site where the auroral sounds were recorded. The sounds captured by the microphones were then compared and they were able to determine the location of the sound source. The aurora borealis had been seen at the observation site. A typical pattern of the northern lights episodes was shown by the simultaneous measurements of the geomagnetic disturbances.

Professor Unto K. Laine from Aalto University described it this way, "Our research proved that, during the occurrence of the northern lights, people can hear natural auroral sounds related to what they see. In the past, researchers thought that the aurora borealis was too far away for people to hear the sounds it made.

This is true. However, our research proves that the source of the sounds that are associated with the aurora borealis we see is likely caused by the same energetic particles from the sun that create the northern lights far away in the sky. These particles or the geomagnetic disturbance produced by them seem to create sound much closer to the ground."

Details about how the auroral sounds are created are still a mystery to the researchers because the sounds do not occur regularly when the northern lights are seen. The recorded, unamplified sounds are similar to crackles or muffled bangs which last for only a short period of time. Others have described them as distant sounds and sputters. Because of these different descriptions, it is suspected that there are several ways that these auroral sounds are formed. Some of these sounds are so soft that it is very difficult to distinguish them from ambient noise.

Auroras are created when charged solar particles slam into Earth's magnetic field and get funneled poleward. The particles collide with molecules in our atmosphere, transferring energy and making the air molecules glow.

Late last week an active region of giant sunspots—each many times larger than Earth—rotated into view.

"The active section of the sun right now is really a pretty big region, and anyone who still has whatever they watched the recent transit of Venus with would easily [spot the active area]—particularly the sunspots," said Mike Solontoi, an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.

Space scientists believe the sunspots flung at least two clouds of charged particles—called coronal mass ejections, or CMEs—toward Earth, setting off the intense auroral display. Northern lights were seen rippling down from the Arctic and dancing into Canada and the United States, with sightings as far south as Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Maryland.

Have you ever seen the northern (or southern) lights? Auroras are part of a natural phenomenon that occurs at far northern and southern latitudes.

Many of us will be celebrating the New Year tonight and for many the skies will be filled with the beautiful and vibrant lights of firecrackers. These brilliant light displays are man-made and have been around for thousands of years. But Nature also has her own light shows that can be seen as even more beautiful.

In 2011 there were very intense aurora borealis (northern lights) due to the strongest solar activity in the last four years. Although the auroras are usually only seen in the Scandinavian countries, Canada and the northern United States, in October of this year they were seen as far south as Missouri and Arkansas. This rare occurance was caused by a Coronal Mass Ejection or a burst of solar wind.

The auroras tend to occur when "charged particles [from the sun] flow along Earth's magnetic field lines. The particles hit the atmosphere at the Poles and excite air molecules, which release the extra energy as light." ~ National Geographic.

Below are some beautiful photos of some of the aurora borealis from 2011. Enjoy them and a Happy New Year to All!


This aurora arched from horizon to horizon. During the current Shelios expedition to observe and learn about the northern lights, the sky last weekend did not disappoint. After sunset and some careful photographic planning, the above image was taken from the expedition's Qaleraliq campsite in southern Greenland. Visible straight through the center of the aurora, found with a careful eye, is the Big Dipper and the surrounding constellation of the Big Bear (Ursa Major). The brightest orb on the far right is the Moon, while Jupiter can be seen even further to the right. The Shelios expedition is scheduled to last until the end of August and include live broadcasts of ongoing auroras.

On September 26, a large solar coronal mass ejection smacked into planet Earth's magnetosphere producing a severe geomagnetic storm and wide spread auroras. Captured here near local midnight from Kvaløya island outside Tromsø in northern Norway, the intense auroral glow was framed by parting rain clouds. Tinted orange, the clouds are also in silhouette as the tops of the colorful shimmering curtains of northern lights extend well over 100 kilometers above the ground. Though the auroral rays are parallel, perspective makes them appear to radiate from a vanishing point at the zenith. Near the bottom of the scene, an even more distant Pleiades star cluster and bright planet Jupiter shine on this cloudy northern night.

September's equinox arrives today at 0905 UT. As the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south, spring begins in the southern hemisphere and autumn in the north. And though the seasonal connection is still puzzling, both spring and autumn bring an increase in geomagnetic storms. So as northern nights grow longer, the equinox also heralds the arrival of a good season for viewing aurora. Recorded earlier this month, these curtains of September's shimmering green light sprawl across a gorgeous night skyscape. In the foreground lies Hidden Lake Territorial Park near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. Calm water reflects the aurora, with bright star trails peering through the mesmerizing sky glow. Of course, shining at altitudes of 100 kilometers or so, planet Earth's auroras are visible from space.

Aurora Moonscape
The spring solstice full "super" moon ....with the aurora over Tuktoyaktuk harbour March 19th, 2011




As northern hemisphere nights grow longer, October is a good month for spotting auroras, or even other eerie apparitions after dark. And this week the night sky did not disappoint. On October 24th a solar coronal mass ejection impacted planet Earth's magnetosphere triggering far ranging auroral displays. On that night, this dramatic silhouette against deep red and beautiful green curtains of shimmering light was captured near Whitby, Ontario, Canada. But auroras were reported even farther south, in US states like Alabama, Kansas, and Oklahoma at latitudes rarely haunted by the northern lights. Well above 100 kilometers, at the highest altitudes infused by the auroral glow, the red color comes from the excitation of oxygen atoms.



The longer you look at this image, the more you see. Perhaps your eye is first drawn to the picturesque waterfall called Skogarfoss visible on the image right. Just as prevalent, however, in this Icelandic visual extravaganza, is the colorful arc of light on the left. This chromatic bow is not a rainbow, since the water drops did not originate in rainfall nor are they reflecting light from the Sun. Rather, the drops have drifted off from the waterfall and are now illuminated by the nearly full Moon. High above are the faint green streaks of aurora. The scene, captured one night last month, also shows a beautiful starscape far in the background, including the Big Dipper, part of the constellation of the Great Bear (Ursa Major).


Explanation: Intense auroral activity flooded the night with shimmering colors on February 24, captured here from a lodge near the city of Yellowknife in northern Canada. The stunning sequence (left to right) of three all-sky exposures, taken at 30 second intervals, shows rapid changes in dancing curtains of northern lights against a starry background. What makes the northern lights dance? Measurements by NASA's fleet of THEMIS spacecraft indicate that these explosions of auroral activity are driven by sudden releases of energy in the Earth's magnetosphere called magnetic reconnection events. The reconnection events release energy when magnetic field lines snap like rubber bands, driving charged particles into the upper atmosphere. Stretching into space, these reconnection events occur in the magnetosphere on the Earth's night side at a distance about 1/3 of the way to the Moon.
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Every year the magical and mystical Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis as they are also called, will dance across the northern skies between the fall equinox and the spring equinox (Sept. 21 - March 21st). They are most frequently seen in late autumn and late winter/early spring.

The northern lights are always unique. You may see three green bands across the night sky or they may be seen as flickering curtains or rolling smoke. The color palette is a luminous green, many times with a hint of pink along the edge, and occasionally with a deep violet center. Whatever form they take, they are spectacular!

The cause of the Northern Lights is just as spectacular. The sun is the force that lies behind the creation of the auroras. Huge quantities of particles are thrown out of the sun and into deep space during solar explosions and flares. When these particles meet the Earth's magnetic shield, they are drawn towards a circle around the magnetic North Pole. Here they interact with the upper layers of the atmosphere and are released as energy or the Northern Lights. At approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) in the sky they are a sight to behold.

The predictability of when they will be visible is quite uncertain though and you are at Nature's mercy. In order to observe them the best you should avoid nights when there is a full moon or in places that are well lit. One of the best places to see them is above the arctic circle in Northern Norway.

One thing is for certain though that whenever and wherever you see them they will be sure to amaze you with their brilliance and beauty in a show that only nature could put on!

These are some of the many legends concerning Aurora, which still exist in various parts of the world:
- Ancient peoples of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland believe that the Aurora is the fire of torches lighting the way to heaven for the spirits of the dead.

Eos, Goddess of the dawn, was known as Aurora and was the sister of Helios, the Sun. Every morning she would rise from her bed and drive Helios into the sky. Four of her sons are the four winds (north, south, east, and west). According to one myth, her tears cause the dew as she flies across the sky weeping for one of her sons, who was killed by Achilles during the Trojan war. Among the handsome young men whom she carried off as lovers were Orion and Tithonus. Eos asked Zeus to give Tithonus immortality but forgot to include ?everlasting youth? with her request.



She is Eos Goddess of the dawn, the daughter of the Hyperion and Theia and the sister of Helios (sun) and Selene (moon). She was the mother of the four winds: Boreas, Eurus, Zephyrus, and Notus; and also of Heosphorus and the Stars. She was depicted as a goddess whose rosy fingers opened the gates of heaven to the chariot of the Sun. Her legend consists almost entirely of her intrigues. She first slept with Ares; this earned her the wrath of Aphrodite who punished her by changing her into a nymph.



Cultural Inuit views on a person's destination after life vary widely from Alaska to Greenland. Inuit parents of the Mackenzie region must always remember that the soul of the departed may enter the body of a newborn child where it will remain until death--unless that child be punished too often, in which case the spirit will leave. In other regions, the departed spirit goes to various levels of afterlife, the hereafter depending upon behavior in life and the manner of death.

A person who dies of sickness or other routine cause and who has not been a good person in life generally will end up in a bad place. That place may be beneath the sea or perhaps down in the bowels of the earth. The bad place is not necessarily a site for punishment, the views differ from Alaska to Greenland, but it may be very dark there, much snow and ice cover the land, and it is always stormy.

In general, it is believed that there is no assurance that life in the final land will be better or worse than here on earth. There can be a sort of intermediate form of the hereafter which may be rather monotonous to live in but which will be free of cold and hardship.

The better places to go are one of the levels of heaven, the highest of which is in the aurora borealis. This is a happy place where there is no snow or storm. It is always bright, and there are many easily caught animals. A common belief is that the aurora is caused by the spirits playing ball. They are playing football with a walrus head, and the contra-streaming movements of the lights across the sky are the evidence of struggles among the spirits.

The person who goes to the highest heaven in the aurora is the man who dies in the hunt, the person who is murdered or who has committed the noble act of suicide or the woman who has died in childbirth. It helps if one has always been generous to the poor and starving.

Among some Greenlander Inuits, the aurora is thought to be caused by the spirit of stillborn or murdered children playing ball with their afterbirths. The Copper Inuit view the aurora as the manifestations of the spirits that bring fine weather. In Alaska it is known that the aurora will come closer if one whistles at it. It also has been said that the aurora will cut your head off if you whistle at it. Prior to 1900 it was written that the Inuit of Point Barrow were afraid of the northern lights and carried knives in self-protection. Further protection could be gained by throwing dog excrement or urine at the aurora. Others believe that one must be careful not to offend the auroras because these ghostly spirits somehow control the supply of game and weather.


*The Algonquin think the lights are their ancestors dancing around a fire.

*The Sami people believed that a person should be careful and quiet when in the presence of the northern lights (called guovssahasat in Northern Sami). To mock the northern lights or singing about them was considered dangerous and could be reason for the lights to come down on a person and kill him/her.

*Scandinavian source calls them”the fires that surround the North and South edges of the world.”

Aurora Borealis timelapse HD - Tromsø 2010 from Tor Even Mathisen on Vimeo.

Source : T. Neil Davis, wikipedia, nasa