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Cause of Aurora Borealis Confirmed

An anonymous reader writes "There are reports that satellites have aided scientists in confirming why the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) exists. 'New data from NASA's Themis mission, a quintet of satellites launched this winter, found the energy comes from a stream of charged particles from the sun flowing like a current through twisted bundles of magnetic fields connecting Earth's upper atmosphere to the sun. The energy is then abruptly released in the form of a shimmering display of lights.'"

2 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. Johnny Mercer is not OT by opencity · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice, warmer than the summer night
    The clouds were like an alabaster palace rising to a snowy height.
    Each star its own aurora borealis, suddenly you held me tight
    I could see the Midnight Sun.

    I can't explain the silver rain that found me--or was that a moonlit veil?
    The music of the universe around me, or was that a nightingale?
    And then your arms miraculously found me,suddenly the sky turned pale,
    I could see the Midnight Sun.

    Was there such a night, it's a thrill I still don't quite believe,
    But after you were gone, there was still some stardust on my sleeve.

    The flame of it may dwindle to an ember, and the stars forget to shine,
    And we may see the meadow in December, icy white and crystalline,
    But oh my darling always I'll remember when your lips were close to mine,
    And we saw the Midnight Sun.

    --
    Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it.
  2. I really liked him. by Seumas · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I don't understand what they mean by "the cause of" him, but I thought David Borealis played the role of Angel in Buffy extremely well and I enjoyed his spin-off show "Angel". It's too bad the show as canceled.