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Aurora borealis, 19th century
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Aurora borealis, 19th century
Aurora borealis, 19th-century artwork. The aurora is a coloured light display visible in the night sky at high latitudes. It occurs when charged particles from the Sun are drawn by Earths magnetic field to the polar regions. Hundreds of kilometres up, they collide with gas molecules and atoms, causing them to emit light (beams across top). This aurora was observed on 2 January 1897 from the weather station on the summit of the Brocken, the tallest peak (1141 metres) in the Harz mountains of northern Germany. Artwork from the 19th volume (first period of 1897) of the French popular science weekly La Science Illustree
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Media ID 6339179
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1890s 1897 Annual Volume Arctic Atmosphere Atmospheric Phenomenon Aurora Aurora Borealis Aurorae Colliding French Germany Glow Glowing January La Science Illustree Light Louis Figuier Magazine Magnetic Field Magnetism Meteorological Meteorology Mountain Northern Physical Geography Polar Popular Science Solar Wind Space Weather Weekly Brocken Harz Mountains Mono Chrome
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This print captures the mesmerizing beauty of the Aurora borealis, a natural phenomenon that has fascinated humanity for centuries. Created in the 19th century, this artwork showcases the ethereal glow of colored lights dancing across the night sky at high latitudes. The aurora occurs when charged particles from the Sun are drawn towards Earth's magnetic field and collide with gas molecules and atoms hundreds of kilometers above us. The specific moment depicted here took place on 2 January 1897, observed from the weather station atop Germany's tallest peak, Brocken. This historical site in the Harz mountains provided an ideal vantage point to witness this celestial spectacle unfold before their eyes. The mono chrome illustration beautifully portrays beams of light emanating from these collisions between solar wind particles and our atmosphere. Originally featured in La Science Illustree, a popular French science weekly magazine during that era, this artwork is part of its 19th volume published in early 1897. It serves as a testament to humanity's enduring fascination with astronomical events and our continuous exploration into understanding them. As we gaze upon this image today, it reminds us not only of nature's awe-inspiring wonders but also highlights our ongoing quest to unravel space weather phenomena like aurorae through meteorological observations and scientific inquiry.
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