Universe Today is 100% AD-FREE thanks to our patrons. Here's how we do it

Amazing Astrophoto: Aurora Through the Dome

By Nancy Atkinson - February 07, 2014 05:06 PM UTC | Observing

There are not many places where you can be indoors and have a spectacular view of the Aurora Borealis, but the Churchill Northern Studies Centre in Canada is one. This incredible shot of the the aurora was taken from inside a plexiglass dome created specifically for being able to watch the sky from indoors. Astrophotographer Alan Dyer described it as “a warm way to watch the aurora.”

This view is a 30-second exposure looking up through the dome. Below you can see how the aurora looked from outsdoors, which is stunning as well.

The Churchill Northern Studies Centre non-profit research and education facility located 23 km east of the town of Churchill, Manitoba that supports sub-arctic scientific researchers working on “a diverse range of topics of interest to northern science,” in addition to being an educational resource center for schools.

Thanks to Alan for sharing his images from his aurora experience at the Centre, and you can see more on Alan's Flickr page or his website.

Our latest video — free on Patreon SpaceX Slams Into The Moon // Liquid on Pluto // Venus Isn’t Dead The extended edition: ad-free, with extra content. Free to watch — no account needed. ▶  Watch it free
Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com