APOD 1.3

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100917.html

It's no wonder that the Alaskan Inuits have a culture so full of enchantment and mystique. Imagine venturing out in the deep, dark night for salmon fishing, only to be greeted by a spectacle such as the Aurora Borealis! Spirits! Legends! They were the only ways to explain such magical phenomena. These days, however, we've made some strides and have determined that the auroras are visible as a result of the interaction of engergized particles and solar wind. Protons and electrons are energized in the magnetosphere, merely the space around the Earth. The Earth's magnetic field acts as an obstacle for the solar wind/charged particles and are forced to bend around it via the northernmost or southernmost points of Earth. The time around the equinox is prime time to see the Northern lights. During the summer, the night is not dark enough to see the auroras. I'm pretty darn excited to see the Arurora Borealis. I have so much to look forward to! From total solar eclipses to light shows in the sky to being able to point out constellations other than the Big Dipper...