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Amazing airglow over Atacama Desert

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December 25, 2015

View larger. | Photo posted to EarthSky Facebook by Yuri Beletsky in Chile. Visit Yuri Beletsky Nightscapes.

Yuri Beletsky wrote on December 19, 2015, a few nights after the peak of this year’s Geminid meteor shower:

We just witnessed an amazing airglow here in Atacama desert … It was so intense that one couldn’t really see many stars close to the horizon. The sky was literally shining. Unfortunately, one can’t see the colors of airglow with the eye. It’s still much less intense then an aurora. But a sensitive digital camera is able to capture the phenomenon in its glory.

I hope you’ll enjoy the view!

Thank you, Yuri!

Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:

Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.