Airglow

Will Eades Photography

A Fleeting Spectacle

This image was planned to position the Milky Way arching over Tacking Point Lighthouse in Port Macquarie, Australia. When the first test shots were checked, I thought my camera had malfunctioned - the sky was green! Aurora Borealis? No way… not in Port Macquarie. So what then? Why was my nice dark night sky suddenly green?

The process is known as ‘Airglow’, and it involves atoms, molecules and ions reacting in the upper atmosphere. This phenomenon can produce greens, reds and yellows which are barely visible to the naked eye - but a long exposure looking South revealed what was hidden.

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Collections: Astro, Full Portfolio

Type: Photographic Print