aurora borealis
Polar sky glow
The aurora borealis is the northern lights—luminous bands and curtains of colored light that appear in the night sky at high latitudes.
The phenomenon occurs when charged particles from the sun interact with gases in Earth's atmosphere, creating shimmering displays of green, pink, red, and violet.
We drove to Alaska hoping to see the aurora borealis.
The term comes from Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn, and Boreas, the Greek god of the north wind. (Capitalized Aurora Borealis appears at the beginning of sentences or in titles.)
Of Earth's magnetic properties
- solar windContinuous stellar particle emission
- magnetosphereCelestial body's protective field
- ionosphereCharged upper atmospheric layer
- charged particlesAtoms with net electricity
plasma · magnetic field · solar flares · solar cycle · thermosphere · electrons · oxygen · nitrogen
Earth's northernmost zone
- TromsøNorwegian city above Arctic Circle
- IcelandNordic island republic
- FairbanksCentral Alaskan city
- SvalbardNorwegian Arctic archipelago
Lapland · Greenland · Yukon · Alaska · Finland · Norway · Canada · tundra
Tremulous, wavering light
- glowSteady, soft light
- radianceGlowing luminous quality
- luminescenceHeatless light emission
- iridescenceColor shift from interference
curtains · ribbons · arcs · bands · streaks · rays · beams · pillars
Visually striking event
- aweReverent fear and wonder
- breathtakingAstonishingly beautiful or exciting
- magnificentExceptionally beautiful or impressive
- otherworldlySeemingly not earthly
transcendent · magical · enchanting · sublime · majestic · celestial · phenomenon · bucket list
geomagnetic
Of Earth's magnetic properties
- solar windContinuous stellar particle emission
- magnetosphereCelestial body's protective field
- ionosphereCharged upper atmospheric layer
charged particles · plasma · magnetic field · solar flares · solar cycle · thermosphere · electrons · oxygen · nitrogen · altitude
Arctic
Earth's northernmost zone
Svalbard · Lapland · Greenland · Yukon · Alaska · Finland · Norway · Canada · tundra · winter
shimmer
Tremulous, wavering light
- glowSteady, soft light
- radianceGlowing luminous quality
- luminescenceHeatless light emission
iridescence · curtains · ribbons · arcs · bands · streaks · rays · beams · pillars · coronas
spectacle
Visually striking event
- aweReverent fear and wonder
- breathtakingAstonishingly beautiful or exciting
- magnificentExceptionally beautiful or impressive
otherworldly · transcendent · magical · enchanting · sublime · majestic · celestial · phenomenon · bucket list · once-in-a-lifetime
photography
Creating images from light
- tripodStabilizing support structure
- long exposureProlonged light capture
- forecastPrediction of future conditions
clear skies · patience · chase · tour · cabin · lodge · apps · alerts · timelapse · winter travel
spirits
Liquor or apparitions
omens · legends · folklore · mystical · sacred · prophetic · Norse · supernatural · divine · heavenly
- AlaskaFairbanks, Juneau, Denali, Sitka, Kodiak
- ArcticArctic Circle, Arctic Ocean, Arctic wildlife, Arctic exploration, Arctic research
- NorwayOslo, Bergen, Trondheim, fjord, fjords
- ScandinaviaNorway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland
- SwedenStockholm, Gothenburg, Malmo, Uppsala, Scania
- celestial eventssolar eclipse, lunar eclipse, meteor shower, eclipse, supernova
aurora borealissunset
Day yielding to darkness
sunrise · daylight · midday sun · sunlight · artificial light
aurora borealislight pollution
Excessive artificial nighttime brightness
blackout · overcast sky · smog · overcast · fog