Explanation: Captured last week after sunset on a Chilean autumn night, an exceptional airglow floods this allsky view from Las Campanas Observatory. The airglow was so intense it diminished parts of the Milky Way as it arced horizon to horizon above the high Atacama desert. Originating at an altitude similar to aurorae, the luminous airglow is due to chemiluminescence, the production of light through chemical excitation. Commonly recorded in color by sensitive digital cameras, the airglow emission here is fiery in appearance. It is predominately from atmospheric oxygen atoms at extremely low densities and has often been present during southern hemisphere nights over the last few years. Like the Milky Way, on that dark night the strong airglow was very visible to the eye, but seen without color. Jupiter is brightest celestial beacon though, standing opposite the Sun and near the central bulge of the Milky Way rising above the eastern (top) horizon. The Large and Small Magellanic clouds both shine through the airglow to the lower left of the galactic plane, toward the southern horizon.
Re: APOD: Milky Way vs Airglow Australis (2018 May 17)
Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 4:56 am
by RocketRon
Interesting view
APOD Robot wrote: ↑Thu May 17, 2018 4:11 am
It is predominately from atmospheric oxygen atoms at extremely low densities and has often been present during southern hemisphere nights over the last few years.
Is this implying, or saying, that this has changed recently - or has only recently become so.
Why might that be ??
Re: APOD: Milky Way vs Airglow Australis (2018 May 17)
Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 6:41 am
by Chris Peterson
RocketRon wrote: ↑Thu May 17, 2018 4:56 am
Interesting view
APOD Robot wrote: ↑Thu May 17, 2018 4:11 am
It is predominately from atmospheric oxygen atoms at extremely low densities and has often been present during southern hemisphere nights over the last few years.
Is this implying, or saying, that this has changed recently - or has only recently become so.
Why might that be ??
The most likely possibility is that cameras are getting better, and we're just coming off of solar maximum, when the airglow is strongest. That is, the natural solar cycle just happens to be overlapping improvements in consumer digital cameras.
Re: APOD: Milky Way vs Airglow Australis (2018 May 17)
Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 11:24 am
by orin stepanek
Quite an interesting picture in a circular frame!
Re: APOD: Milky Way vs Airglow Australis (2018 May 17)
Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 12:38 pm
by Sa Ji Tario
<b> "It is predominantly of atoms of atmospheric oxygen at extremely low densities and has often been present during the nights of the southern hemisphere in recent years." </ b> is mainly due to Earth's climate (a my loyal knowing and understanding)
Re: APOD: Milky Way vs Airglow Australis (2018 May 17)
Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 1:39 pm
by suicidejunkie
APOD Robot wrote: ↑Thu May 17, 2018 4:11 amThe airglow was so intense it diminished parts of the Milky Way
Really?
Are you sure it isn't just overwhelming the Milky Way rather than dimming the light?
Re: APOD: Milky Way vs Airglow Australis (2018 May 17)
APOD Robot wrote: ↑Thu May 17, 2018 4:11 am
It is predominately from atmospheric oxygen atoms at extremely low densities and has often been present during southern hemisphere nights over the last few years.
Is this implying, or saying, that this has changed recently - or has only recently become so. Why might that be ??
The most likely possibility is that cameras are getting better, and we're just coming off of solar maximum, when the airglow is strongest.
Re: APOD: Milky Way vs Airglow Australis (2018 May 17)
Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 6:12 pm
by Joe Stieber
Despite the airglow, the Zodiacal Light is faintly, but distinctly visible as an arc to the right of the Milky Way. It starts around Antares in Scorpius (towards the top-left of the picture), then down past bright Jupiter in Libra, Spica in Virgo, Regulus in Leo, M44 in Cancer and finishing up near Castor and Pollux in Gemini at the bottom-right.
Re: APOD: Milky Way vs Airglow Australis (2018 May 17)
Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 8:13 pm
by BDanielMayfield
Does this increasing airglow cause issues for astronomers like light pollution goes?
Bruce
Re: APOD: Milky Way vs Airglow Australis (2018 May 17)
Posted: Thu May 17, 2018 8:19 pm
by geckzilla
BDanielMayfield wrote: ↑Thu May 17, 2018 8:13 pm
Does this increasing airglow cause issues for astronomers like light pollution goes?
Milky Way vs Airglow Australis