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SYFY WIRE Bad Astronomy

Surreal Arctic time lapse

By Phil Plait
BadAstronomyHero

Oh, wow. We're having a heat wave here in Boulder -- which isn't helping the fire situation -- so I'm really glad I watched this time lapse video by Tor Even Mathisen. It is, quite literally, cool.


He filmed this in Tromsø (specifically Kvaløya and Tromsøya), in northern Norway, which is apparently a mecca for aurorae (see Related Posts below). Mathisen is an editor and cameraman for Norwegian Broadcasting, and clearly has an excellent eye for the sky. He has another aurora video he shot in 2010.

This is exactly what I needed as temperatures here push 40°C. It's nice to know that while we're sizzling here, the atmosphere is sizzling with cold light elsewhere.

Tip o' the parka hood to John Markus Bjørndalen.


Related Posts:

- Fire, water, and ice
- Real time footage of aurora shows them dancing and shimmering
- Will you see the lights tonight?
- The softly glowing night sky


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