Neil Haesler, Postmedia News · Monday, Sept. 20, 2010
The Canadian Space Agency usually turns its eyes toward the heavens, but starting Monday night CSA will be looking a little closer to home.
The agency has announced a new window on Canada’s northern lights which begins broadcasting live on the Internet. The AuroraMAX observatory begins streaming images Monday of the dancing lights at www.asc-csa.gc.ca as part of a collaboration between the agency, the University of Calgary, the City of Yellowknife and Astronomy North.
“Armchair skywatchers everywhere can now discover the wonder of the northern lights live on their home computer screen,” CSA president Steve MacLean said in a news release.
“We hope that watching the dance of the northern lights will make you curious about the science of the sky and the relationship we have with our own star, the sun.”
Mr. MacLean said the idea is to demystify the science behind the phenomenon of the northern lights and offer tips for seeing and photographing the auroras.
The website will include live streaming pictures of the lights along with still photos and movies from previous nights.
According to the agency, the lights occur as charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere.
“The aurora is a phenomenon that takes place in the upper atmosphere. The Earth’s magnetic field acts like a huge magnet, and is responsible for attracting electrically charged particles to the north and south region of the globe. The Earth’s magnetic field attracts the particles found in the aurora. When these particles hit the upper atmosphere, they cause a spectacular spectrum of colours to shower the nighttime sky,” the agency says on its website.
The aurora season in Canada usually begins in September and ends in May.
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