Red aurora and two galaxies: Ukrainian polar researchers share unique photos from Antarctica
Illustrative photo (collage: RBC-Ukraine)
In the night sky near the Akademik Vernadsky station in Antarctica, Ukrainian polar researchers captured an incredible reddish aurora as well as two neighboring galaxies, according to a joint Facebook post by the press service of the National Antarctic Scientific Center and Universe Space Tech.
What determines the color of the aurora
The National Antarctic Scientific Center explained that people usually imagine the aurora as green.
However, in reality, it can appear in different colors.
This depends on:
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Which atoms and molecules of gases in the Earth's atmosphere emit light;
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The altitude at which this occurs.
Reddish aurora near the Akademik Vernadsky station (photo: facebook.com/AntarcticCenter)
When reddish auroras appear
Experts explained that when high-energy charged particles from the solar wind enter the upper layers of the atmosphere, they:
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Ionize atoms and molecules of various gases;
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Cause them to emit light of different colors.
"Red and green hues are mainly associated with oxygen emissions," the National Antarctic Scientific Center said.
It is noted that at altitudes above 200 km, atomic oxygen often produces a red glow, while at lower altitudes, it produces a green glow.
Red and green hues are mainly associated with oxygen emissions (photo: facebook.com/AntarcticCenter)
Which galaxies the polar researchers managed to see
The photographs taken on Galindez Island in West Antarctica by meteorologist and ozone specialist Serhii Yakushchenko show not only the reddish aurora but also two neighboring galaxies:
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The Large Magellanic Cloud;
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The Small Magellanic Cloud.
The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (photo: facebook.com/AntarcticCenter)
If you look closely at the photo with the naked eye, they resemble two blurry, bright, hazy patches among the stars.
"These images combine phenomena of vastly different scales. The aurora occurs hundreds of kilometers above Earth, while the light from the Magellanic Clouds traveled through space for hundreds of thousands of years before reaching the camera lens," the post notes.
The neighboring galaxies resemble blurry, bright, hazy patches among the stars (photo: facebook.com/AntarcticCenter)
How far these galaxies are from Earth
Experts said that the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are dwarf galaxies that are satellites of our Milky Way:
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The Large Magellanic Cloud is located approximately 160,000 light-years from Earth.
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The Small Magellanic Cloud is about 200,000 light-years away.
"Both can be observed with the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere under favorable conditions," the National Antarctic Scientific Center clarified.
Earlier, we reported that Ukraine’s research vessel Noosfera had begun its sixth Antarctic season. The mission plans to expand the geographical scope of research and international cooperation.
