Title: Aurora – atomic light show
Year: 2023
Size: 595mm x 595mm
Media: Oil on canvas
Description:
The lights we see in the sky are actually caused by activity on the surface of the Sun.
Solar storms give out huge clouds of electrically charged particles which can travel millions of miles, and some eventually collide with the Earth.
These particles then slam into atoms and molecules in the atmosphere and heat them up.
The wavy lines are caused by the lines of force in the Earth’s magnetic field.
The two primary gases in the atmosphere, nitrogen and oxygen, give off different colours in an aurora display. The green is characteristic of oxygen, while hints of purple, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen.
