Science Source Stock Photo - Aurora Borealis display with clouds

Aurora Borealis display with clouds

Description: Aurora Borealis. Clouds partially obscuring a dramatic multicolored Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights display. Aurorae are caused by the interaction between energetic charged particles from the Sun and gas molecules in the upper atmosphere about 100 kilometers up. A stream of charged particles, called the solar wind, flows out into space continuously from the Sun at speeds of 400-500 kilometers per second. On reaching Earth, the charged particles are drawn by Earth's magnetic field to the poles, where they collide with gas molecules in the upper atmosphere, causing them to emit light. Photographed from Finland.

Credit:

Pekka Parviainen/Science Source

Unique identifier: SS293649

Legacy Identifier: SB5634

Type: Image

Size: 3840px × 2415px (~26 MB)

Add to cart

Direct link to Image

Copy URL to clipboard

Add to lightbox My First Lightbox

Add to cart

Company

Connect