Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2021 October 30
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             A Rorschach Aurora
                Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Göran Strand

   Explanation: If you see this as a monster's face, don't panic. [5]It's
   only pareidolia, often experienced as the tendency to see faces in
   patterns of light and shadow. In fact, the startling visual scene is
   actually a 180 degree panorama of [6]Northern Lights, digitally
   mirrored like inkblots on a folded piece of paper. Frames used to
   construct it were captured on a September night from the middle of a
   waterfall-crossing suspension bridge in Jamtland, Sweden. With
   geomagnetic storms triggered by [7]recent solar activity, auroral
   displays could be very active at planet Earth's high latitudes in the
   coming days. But if you see a monster's face in [8]your own
   neighborhood tomorrow night, it might just be Halloween.

              Tomorrow's picture: The Dark Matter of Halloween
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       [9]< | [10]Archive | [11]Submissions | [12]Index | [13]Search |
   [14]Calendar | [15]RSS | [16]Education | [17]About APOD | [18]Discuss |
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     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [20]Robert Nemiroff ([21]MTU) & [22]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([23]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [24]Specific rights apply.
              [25]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [26]ASD at [27]NASA / [28]GSFC
                           & [29]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2110/GS_20210917_Handol_5651_Pan.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://astrofotografen.se/
   5. https://earthsky.org/human-world/seeing-things-that-arent-there/
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/aurora-news-stories/index.html
   7. https://blogs.nasa.gov/solarcycle25/2021/10/28/sun-releases-significant-solar-flare/
   8. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1546/sinister-solar-system/
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211029.html
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  13. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  18. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=211030
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211031.html
  20. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  21. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  22. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  23. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  25. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  26. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  29. http://www.mtu.edu/