Mundubbera Milky Way and Airglow #2
This image was Highly Commended in the 2017 David Malin Astrophotography Awards.
I was out at Mundubbera in South East Queensland on a work trip this week, and took advantage of the clear skies by getting up early to photograph the Milky Way. I'm glad I did, because I was able to capture one of the brightest displays of airglow that I've ever seen.
Airglow is caused by various chemical reactions in the upper atmosphere which generate luminescence and/or chemiluminescence. Orange airglow such as this is probably radiation from high level (150-300km) excited oxygen atoms. Airglow is always there to some extent, but on rare occasions such as this it becomes much brighter than usual.
Mundubbera Milky Way and Airglow #2
This image was Highly Commended in the 2017 David Malin Astrophotography Awards.
I was out at Mundubbera in South East Queensland on a work trip this week, and took advantage of the clear skies by getting up early to photograph the Milky Way. I'm glad I did, because I was able to capture one of the brightest displays of airglow that I've ever seen.
Airglow is caused by various chemical reactions in the upper atmosphere which generate luminescence and/or chemiluminescence. Orange airglow such as this is probably radiation from high level (150-300km) excited oxygen atoms. Airglow is always there to some extent, but on rare occasions such as this it becomes much brighter than usual.