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Awesome Aurora

20-10-00

Hello Astronomy Interest Group (and others)

The 10 AIG members in the audience of 38 at the University of Natal Astronomy Society meeting last night were treated to some really amazing visual delights!

We saw:
- much video footage of achingly beautiful red and green auroral lights;
- extremely close-up images of the sun taken by the SOHO spacecraft;
- details of the sturdy SANAE (South African National Antarctic                 Expedition) base with local expedition members;
- as well as a fresh, only four hour-old image of the auroral oval around the Arctic Circle.

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In fact, if you want to see what our planet's rings of auroral light LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW (ie. within the last 2 hours or so), go to the following web site containing live images coming in from a polar orbiting satellite: http://eiger.physics.uiowa.edu/~vis/images/       (an example is attached)

A geologist in the audience shared with us the amazing fact that the site on which SANAE is built is terrain which was actually joined to the KZN coast 180 million years ago - how's that for an ancient coincidence (!)

Last night was the final UND meeting of this millennium.

The Astronomy Interest Group is grateful to the UND Astronomy Society for allowing our members to attend the meetings free of charge - this can only benefit astronomy in Durban.

Don't forget the viewing evening next Friday (5th November) at Marist Brothers College at 7PM.

Regards 

Mario Di Maggio
Astronomy Interest Group
Durban Natural Science Museum