Peter Firus, Year 12, Swifts Creek Secondary College
Aurora Australis Panorama
In the process of fusing hydrogen atoms into helium, the Sun releases vast amounts of very high energy particles (mainly protons) into space. Fortunately the Earth’s magnetic field is able to deflect this lethal solar wind or life on the planet wouldn’t exist. As the particles approach Earth they begin to spiral towards the poles along the Earth’s magnetic field lines. In this process they lose much of their energy, and when they reach the atmosphere they are energized to levels between 1 and 15 keV. In the atmosphere they collide with atoms of gases (typically atomic oxygen), causing the atoms to become excited. Soon after the excited atoms fluoresce, releasing the energy they gained as light and returning to their ground state.
The light of the aurora in this image is mainly red, indicating it originated from fluorescing oxygen. At lower energy levels and higher altitudes oxygen fluoresces at a wavelength of approximately 630nm which is in the red area of the visible spectrum. At higher energies oxygen fluoresces in the green area of the spectrum (~558nm); and it is in this colour that the famous Southern Lights of Antarctica are seen in. This image was taken at Swifts Creek in Victoria which at a latitude of 37° 15’S is significantly north of the Southern Pole; resulting in the lower energy levels of the particles.
The light of the aurora in this image is mainly red, indicating it originated from fluorescing oxygen. At lower energy levels and higher altitudes oxygen fluoresces at a wavelength of approximately 630nm which is in the red area of the visible spectrum. At higher energies oxygen fluoresces in the green area of the spectrum (~558nm); and it is in this colour that the famous Southern Lights of Antarctica are seen in. This image was taken at Swifts Creek in Victoria which at a latitude of 37° 15’S is significantly north of the Southern Pole; resulting in the lower energy levels of the particles.
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