Airglow Observed near Ladakh, India
September 07, 2023
Photographer: Soumyadeep Mukherjee
Summary Author: Soumyadeep Mukherjee
Last month, while I visited the pristine dark skies near Ladakh, India I observed the airglow phenomenon for the first time in my life, not with the unaided eye but with my camera. During my initial observing session at Pangong on May 17, 2023, the airglow in the vicinity of the Milky Way had a strong green appearance. Note that the wavy or rippled areas at top are gravity waves.
Airglow is a photochemical luminescence caused by solar radiation interacting with the atoms and molecules present in the upper atmosphere. When solar radiation interacts with molecular oxygen (O) it produces a greenish color in the 508 nm wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Photo details: Nikon Z6ii camera; Tamron 15-30 mm lens; Ioptron skyguider pro; 90 seconds exposure; f/4; ISO 1250.
Ladakh, India Coordinates: 34.2268, -77.5619
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