In simple terms, the Aurora Borealis (in the North) and the Aurora Australis (in the South) happen when charged particles (electrons, protons, and what-have-you) released by the Sun collide with the Earth’s upper atmosphere. The glowing green and red light comes from these particles exciting oxygen in the upper atmosphere (other colors = other gasses). These particles are guided by Earth’s magnetic field lines and pulled toward an area around 65º North or South latitude (Alaska, northern Canada, Siberia, Iceland, southern Greenland, northern Scandinavia and Finland, and the coast of Antarctica).

Two weeks ago, at the Bay Area Maker Faire, I bought an “Aurorarium” – although it doesn’t actually create an aurora, it makes aurora-looking light patterns on the walls and ceiling. It is a Japanese Gekkan science kit and comes with a cool glossy color magazine about Aurorae: available online at the Maker Shed for $29.95.
It’s pretty damn pretty.

BBC’s Chris Lintott shows us Aurora Borealis over Norway:



Snap, Crackle, and Glow Bonus Round:
Listening to the radio discharges of Aurora Borealis:

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Update: This might qualify as the strangest inter-species couple, come to think of it:

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View from the Portsmouth Beach Hotel – Picard, Dominica – 11.10.08

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Though the term “spork” usually refers to a spoon with fork tines, the LightMyFire “Spork” involves a different orientation of spoon and fork, with a serrated knife edge.

I recently had the chance to use one on a camping trip (photo above) – it’s a nice, easy to clean, simple design.

Better name suggestions for this design:
• The Hermaphro-spoon
• The Hermaphro-fork
• The Spknork (the first “k” is silent)
• The Fknoon
• Utensli
• The Untens-all

(also found on Notcot)

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Our Blogadilla research team has acquired recent exclusive footage of this creature in its native habitat. The Paul Revere walks upright like a human being and has coloration which allows it to easily blend-in with its environment [Can you see it? Photos on the right enhanced for better viewing]. Our Blogadilla Heavy Industries research team suspects that this example is a female.

Bonus Round: The Benjamin Franklin Instant Disguise Kit (just like Scooby-Doo!)

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Yes, this is for real.  Check out the Uroclub TV commercial, or Keith Olbermann’s coverage of the portable golf-shaped urinal.

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Though technically they aren’t “lost” – they know exactly where they are – this population near the Peruvian/Brazilian border has had no known contact with the “outside world” until last month. Recent aerial photos taken in May 2008 offer the first proof of their existence and provide some clues to their way of life.

Some new facts about this recently discovered tribe:
• They don’t like airplanes.
• They aren’t very good at hitting airplanes with spears or arrows.
• They aren’t interested in maintaining front or back lawns.
• They believe that orange bodypaint is “the new black.”

Mail Online article.

(via Neatorama)

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(Thanks to Loy for the heads up!)

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