The Aurora Tree

Astronomy Picture of the Day · 2026-03-08 · NASA (public domain)

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The Aurora Tree — APOD for 2026-03-08

Yes, but can your tree do this? Pictured is a visual coincidence between the dark branches of a nearby tree and bright glow of a distant aurora. The beauty of the aurora -- combined with how it seemed to mimic a tree right nearby -- mesmerized the photographer to such a degree that he momentarily forgot to take pictures. When viewed at the right angle , it seemed that this tree had aurora for leaves. Fortunately, before the aurora morphed into a different overall shape , he came to his senses and captured the awe-inspiring momentary coincidence . Typically triggered by solar explosions , aurora are caused by high energy electrons impacting the Earth's atmosphere around 150 kilometers up. The unusual Earth-sky collaboration was witnessed in March of 2017 in Iceland . Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (after 1995)

Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2026-03-08 — image & explanation courtesy of NASA (public domain), mirrored at Tukuk-OS for reading and search convenience.

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