NASA shows the aurora borealis in infrared light (photo)
The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument on NASA’s Suomi NPP satellite and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has captured the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, in infrared light, says Space.
The aurora borealis is formed as a result of a solar flare. This flare releases electrically charged particles that interact with gas molecules in the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Auroras usually appear as green streaks, but they can also be red, blue, purple, pink, and white.
The aurora borealis is most often observed in the high-latitude regions around the Arctic, where it is called the northern lights (aurora borealis), and in the Antarctic, where it is known as the southern lights (aurora australis).
VIIRS is sensitive to infrared radiation in a broad spectral range known as the “day-night band” (DNB).
It uses reflected moonlight as well as terrestrial and atmospheric sources to detect visible light at night.
Therefore, the visible light emitted by the aurora borealis and passing through the Earth’s atmosphere is captured by the VIIRS instrument and displayed in different shades of gray.
