Northern Lights Talkeetna Range Mts, #3874

Description

Northern lights Talkeetna Range Mts. A band of green northern lights, topped by a purple array, as viewed from Broad Pass, south of Cantwell, Alaska. This display lasted well into the early morning hours. Often the colors would vary from green to yellow, to red, to purple, or a combination thereof. The two primary gases in the Earth’s atmosphere are nitrogen and oxygen, and these elements give off different colors during an aurora display. The green we see in the northern lights is characteristic of oxygen, while hints of purple, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen. Charged particles from the sun interact with the gases to create the colors. The red color develops in the upper atmosphere, the green color lower in the atmosphere. An all-red is uncommon but always thrills viewers and photographers.

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