Notices by AkaSci 🛰️ (akasci@fosstodon.org), page 8

Why do some auroras produce vivid pink colors?

Auroras are caused by emissions from O atoms and N2 molecules. Solar-origin electrons cause the energy states of O and N2 to rise which result in photon emissions at specific wavelengths.

O atoms below 200 km emit in the familiar green color.
O atoms above 200 km emit in red.
N2 near 200 km emits in blue.
N2 below 100 km emits in reds and blues that mix to produce pink.

Intense solar storms cause lower altitude N2 emissions.

4/n

Many here on earth were fortunate and adventurous enough to see the northern lights over the past 2 days caused by the solar CMEs a few days ago.

Here is a time-lapse video of the green and red colored Aurora Borealis taken by Andy Hawke over Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. The video includes a few Perseid meteors flashing by.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgiGbExuRIE
Credit: Andy Hawke
Video editing by Storyful
3/n

The ISS aurora images show red colors at high altitudes. Why?

Atomic O is unusual in terms of its return to ground state after excitation: it takes ~0.7 sec to emit green light and up to 2 mins for red.
- At low altitudes, collisions with other atoms or molecules absorb the excitation energy and prevent emissions.
- At 100-200 km, O density is sufficiently low to allow green emission.
- Above 200 km, O density is very low which allows time to emit red light.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora
5/n

Aurora sightings in the UK.

https://fosstodon.org/@metoffice@techhub.social/112951711053587398
3/n

In case you're wondering, the trump-musk interview on twitter is facing some technical problems.

From https://www.rawstory.com/trump-musk/ -
The start time — 8 p.m. Eastern Time — came and went, with the Space not working, and numerous users confused.

Musk posted that his app appeared to be undergoing a "massive DDOS attack."

"Working on shutting it down,' he said. "Worst case, we will proceed with a smaller number of live listeners and post the conversation later.
🤣 🤣 🤣
4/n

Besides, there are better ways to spend our time than being on twitter.

E.g., read/write/discuss Democratic strategy.
Or science.
Or go out and experience the Aurora Borealis!

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
2/n

Let's stay away from twitter from 8-9 p.m. ET., in case we still use or visit twitter.

#TwitterBlackout
1/n

Tonight, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will wrap up their battleground state campaign blitz with a rally in Las Vegas.

The venue is the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada, which has a seating capacity of 19,522.

Webcast starts at 8:30 p.m. ET at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEN0y0NaEvc
1/n

Tweet by VoteVets setting the record straight and pointing out the insidious lies by JD Vance and his surrogates about Walz's record in the National Guard.
11/n

Tweet by Mehdi Hasan -
"
1. They are trying to 'Swift Boat' Tim Walz.
2. Walz served 24 years in the Army National Guard.
3. Vance went to Iraq as a 'combat correspondent', or military journalist. He did PR for the Marines.
4. DONALD TRUMP HAD FAKE BONE SPURS TO DODGE THE
"
Let's fight back, with the Truth, as the trump slime-machine goes into overgear.
10/n

Weird? Yes, and dumb as a rock.

Q from reporter: "Why would people in Wisconsin want to have a beer with you?"

Vance: "Hahahaha. Uh well, I guess, I guess they'd, they'd like, they'd want to have a beer with me because I actually do like to drink beer and um, I probably like to drink beer a little bit too much, but that's ok."
...
"I've never met a guy who likes normal people more than Donald Trump."

Did this guy really graduate from Yale?

12/n

A tale of two rallies, by Amanda Marcotte -

"The Harris/Walz rally felt like a rousing speech by Coach Eric Taylor of "Friday Night Lights" combined with the front row at Coachella. The cheers were so loud that I regretted not bringing my earplugs. The mood was jubilant, even though folks had to wait hours in the heat and humidity to even get into the place."

https://www.salon.com/2024/08/07/bringing-back-the-joy-kamala-harris-rally-blows-away-jd-vances-weird-appearance-across-town/
1/n

A rip-roaring tale of two rallies, by Amanda Marcotte -

"Hours earlier, I had been at a South Philly venue where Vance spoke briefly to about 200 supporters and a group of bored journalists. Vance's event was small, mean, and yes, weird, featuring the unjustified sarcasm of the candidate and a desperate feeling reminiscent of the mood at a strip mall shot bar at 2 AM on "ladies' night."
"
🤣
https://www.salon.com/2024/08/07/bringing-back-the-joy-kamala-harris-rally-blows-away-jd-vances-weird-appearance-across-town/
2/n

A rip-roaring tale of two rallies, by Amanda Marcotte -

"The people who flooded the Temple stadium looked like any cross-section of America on any given night. There was old, young and all in-between. There were tattooed hipsters and soccer moms. There were people of every race, dressed in every which way. It could have been a crowd of people chosen at random from the streets of Philadelphia, or any city in America, really."
😺

https://www.salon.com/2024/08/07/bringing-back-the-joy-kamala-harris-rally-blows-away-jd-vances-weird-appearance-across-town/
5/n

A rip-roaring tale of two rallies, by Amanda Marcotte -

"Vance's speech, on the other hand, wasn't just underwhelming but a little uncanny. Despite using room dividers to shrink the space, the campaign could not hide that the crowd felt like a medium-sized wedding, albeit a pathetic one where no one cares for the couple.
"
🤣
https://www.salon.com/2024/08/07/bringing-back-the-joy-kamala-harris-rally-blows-away-jd-vances-weird-appearance-across-town/
4/n

A rip-roaring tale of two rallies, by Amanda Marcotte -
"
"Thank you for bringing back the joy," Walz said, to a thunderous reception. A simple line, but it brought the house down because of the plain-spoken truth Walz has swiftly become famous for. "Joy" was the word of the night. People in the stands practically vibrated with it.

The crowd was so exuberant that Harris and Walz could have done shadow puppets and the place would have erupted.
"
😺
https://www.salon.com/2024/08/07/bringing-back-the-joy-kamala-harris-rally-blows-away-jd-vances-weird-appearance-across-town/
3/n

A rip-roaring tale of two rallies, by Amanda Marcotte -

In attendance at the JD Vance rally -
"Older men radiating "bitter divorce" energy. Men with enormous beards that have never known the touch of a trimmer. Skinny fascists wearing expensive suits, despite the oppressive heat. Glowering loners staring at the two women under 40 like cats watching birds out a window."
🤣 🤣 🤣
https://www.salon.com/2024/08/07/bringing-back-the-joy-kamala-harris-rally-blows-away-jd-vances-weird-appearance-across-town/
7/n

A rip-roaring tale of two rallies, by Amanda Marcotte -

"One upside to the Vance event: There was no line to use the ladies' room. Sure, there were women in attendance, but the gender ratio felt like the guest list on Joe Rogan's podcast. There was one kind of diversity in this small but weirdly intense crowd. Every type of white man that gets a hasty "swipe left" on his dating profile was in attendance: 'Roided out dudes with bad tribal tattoos."

https://www.salon.com/2024/08/07/bringing-back-the-joy-kamala-harris-rally-blows-away-jd-vances-weird-appearance-across-town/
6/n

JD Vance launched into a swiftboat-style attack on Walz, denigrating his service in the National Guard. That's what the geniuses of the trump slime machine came up with.

Walz served as an enlisted soldier in the Army National Guard for two decades, ultimately attaining the rank of command sergeant major. He responded to natural disasters, served with the European Security Force to support the war in Afghanistan, and was stationed around Europe to train with NATO.

https://newrepublic.com/post/184662/jd-vance-attack-tim-walz-stolen-valor-background
9/n

JD Vance at an event this morning in Michigan, with a teeny tiny stage.
Surely reminds you of the Four Seasons Landscaping Company event 4 years ago.
🌳 🤣 🤣 🌲
8/n