Airglow Ripples: Witnessing Gravity Waves Paint the Night Sky Over Mount Rainier
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and seen faint, ethereal glowing ripples? These aren't stars or faint clouds, but rather airglow, a natural light emitted by Earth's upper atmosphere. This captivating phenomenon occurs when oxygen molecules release energy after being energized by sunlight.
The Dance of Gravity Waves
What makes these airglow displays truly spectacular are the wave-like bands that often form. These bands are a visual manifestation of atmospheric gravity waves rippling through the sky. Imagine tossing a stone into a pond; the resulting ripples spread across the water's surface. Similarly, atmospheric gravity waves travel through the air, bending and shifting the airglow, much like ripples on water. This creates a dynamic and breathtaking celestial spectacle.
A Glimpse Over Mount Rainier
The stunning image below captures this exact phenomenon over the serene landscape of Lake Tipsoo, nestled against the majestic Mount Rainier. It's a testament to the beauty and dynamic processes happening in our own atmosphere.
This particular capture was made possible using a Nikon D850 with a Nikkor 24-70 mm lens, set at 30 mm. It's a single shot, with settings of f2.8, ISO 6400, and an exposure time of 25 seconds, allowing the faint airglow to be revealed.
Witnessing such events reminds us of the constant, unseen activity in our planet's atmosphere and the incredible beauty it can produce. For those intrigued by more, a short timelapse of this event can be found on the photographer's Instagram:
