March 17, 2015 at 3:24 pm

18 Stunning Green Auroras for St Paddy’s Day

by twistedsifter

 

In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, here are 18 stunning green auroras as seen from Earth and outer space (aboard the International Space Station). For those unfamiliar, Saint Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration held on the 17th of March each year. It signifies the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (c. AD 385–461), the foremost patron saint of Ireland.

An aurora (astralis in the south and borealis in the north) is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude (Arctic and Antarctic) regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere (thermosphere). The charged particles originate in the magnetosphere and solar wind and, on Earth, are directed by the Earth’s magnetic field into the atmosphere. [source]

 

 

1. Tromsø, Norway
January 9, 2014

green auroras for st patricks day (3)

Photograph by Harald Albrigtsen via Nasa.gov

 

 

2. Faskrudsfjordur, Iceland
March 8, 2012

green auroras for st patricks day (9)

Photograph by Jónína Óskarsdóttir via Nasa.gov

 

 

3. International Space Station
September 17, 2011

green auroras for st patricks day (13)

Photograph by NASA

 

 

4. International Space Station
December 9, 2014

green auroras for st patricks day (7)

 

 

5. Alberta, Canada
June 1, 2011

green auroras for st patricks day (10)

Photograph by NASA/Zoltan Kenwell

 

 

6. International Space Station
May 29, 2010

green auroras for st patricks day (4)

Photograph by NASA/JSC

 

 

7. International Space Station
July 15, 2014

green auroras for st patricks day (14)

Photograph by NASA

 

 

8. Venetie, Alaska
March 3, 2014

green auroras for st patricks day (12)

 

 

9. International Space Station
January 25, 2012

green auroras for st patricks day (6)

Photograph by NASA

 

 

10. International Space Station
August 29, 2014

green auroras for st patricks day (2)

Photograph by ESA/Alexander Gerst

 

 

11. Sweden
January 25, 2012

green auroras for st patricks day (11)

Photograph by Peter Rosén via Nasa.gov

 

 

12. International Space Station
September 18, 2011

green auroras for st patricks day (16)

Photograph by NASA

 

 

13. International Space Station
July 15, 2014

green auroras for st patricks day (8)

Photograph by NASA

 

 

14. Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
October 1, 2012

green auroras for st patricks day (1)

Photograph by Joseph Bradley via Nasa.gov

 

 

15. International Space Station
February 6, 2015

green auroras for st patricks day (15)

Photograph by NASA/Terry Virts

 

 

16. Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
August 31, 2012

green auroras for st patricks day (18)

Photograph by David Cartier, Sr via NASA Goddard on Flickr

 

 

17. International Space Station
July 15, 2012

green auroras for st patricks day (17)

Photograph by NASA/JSC

 

 

18. Bear Lake, Alaska, United States
January 18, 2005

aurora borealis alaska 18 Stunning Green Auroras for St Paddys Day

United States Air Force photo by Senior Airman Joshua Strang
Photograph by NASA/JSC