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Northern Lights and Its Wonders

Blues and greens,
an ocean in the sky.
Purples and pinks
flutter O'so high.
This is the beautiful Aurora,
that shines in the sky only on a few lucky nights.
She dances and swirls,
beckoning the stars to join in.
Like the Milky way spilled across the night.
These cosmic lights illuminate the Northern atmosphere.
The great Aurora Borealis doesn't come out to play often.
I count myself lucky to have glanced at its beauty.
So every year I go out into the night,
stare up at the stars in the heavens above,
and pray to our creator that I might have a glimpse,
of the great lights once more.

(I know that their are also the Southern lights-the Aurora Pacifica, but I've only seen the norther lights.....which are normally blue and green with hints of other colours.....depending on where you are) 

 A poem made by Angelic Warrior

What can you picture in your mind upon reading the poem? Well me, i imagine this one

      http://jinqiaojs.com/purple-northern-lights-hd-wallpaper-high-resolution-sxr

Do we have the same? Hmmmmm. 

This is what we call Northern Lights. But what is Northern Lights? So now help me discover one of earth's wonders: Northern Lights

First let us define terms. 

WHAT ARE NORTHERN LIGHTS?

• Northern lights is a common name for the Aurora Borealis (Polar Aurorae) in the Northern Hemisphere (www.northernlightscentre.ca/northernlights.html)
• The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. They are known as 'Aurora borealis' in the north and 'Aurora australis' in the south.. 

        Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are the most common. Shades of             red, yellow, green, blue, and violet have been reported. The lights appear in many forms from patches or             scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an            eerie glow.

          (http://www.northernlightscentre.ca/northernlights.html)

WHAT CAUSES THE NORTHERN LIGHTS?

If you cannot view the video just follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJV_wlCm6ms

WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE NORTHERN LIGHTS?

(From:http://www.skyscanner.net/news/6-best-places-see-northern-lights-winter-2015-2016)

Would you like to see the 'Northern Lights', or Aurora Borealis? The experience of seeing the unearthly colours, and even hearing the heavenly sound, of the Aurora in the night sky above a snowy Arctic wilderness is on many a bucket list. But how, and where, can you see this phantasmargorical phenomenon? We've got some suggestions...

Named after the Roman goddess of dawn, the Aurora occurs when highly- charged electrons from the solar wind collide with different atmospheric elements in the ring surrounding the North Pole. They work in an 11-year cycle, and we’re currently in a phase of high activity after last year’s 'solar maximum'.

Although we can't predict far in advance when the magic solar winds will appear for each and every light show (get the latest on the Aurora forecast), we can advise on some of the best viewing points for seeing the Lights, and offer some alternative activities for when there's a no-show.

1. Svalbard, Norway

You can't get much higher than Svalvard. Up between the 74th and 81st parallel, this Norwegian island is well up into the Arctic - and generally the higher the latitude, the better your chances of seeing the Lights. You can witness the Northern Lights here between November and February, but the majority of visitors come to experience a different natural phenomenon: the Polar Night. Between mid-November and the end of January, Svalbard is without daylight. With a blue twilight the lightest it gets, your chances of seeing the Aurora are increased. If you visit outside of this period, ie when you can see, you'll have a much better chance of seeing reindeer, walrus and polar bears - as seen on Frozen Planet.

Getting there: There are flights from the UK to Oslo, then onto Longyearbyen - the main settlement on Svalbard and logical base for a visit, with its hotel options. We mentionedTromso in last year’s guide - you might find that more accessible.

The best time to book flights from the UK to Norway: Seven weeks before departure.

2. Kakslauttanen, Finland

At the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in Finnish Lapland, you can Lights-gaze from the comfort of your own glass igloo, and stay in a traditional log cabin complete with sauna and open fire. If the lights don’t play ball, you can instead do snowy activities such as a reindeer safari, or rent some walking skis to explore the nearby Urho National Park.

Getting there: There are no direct flights to Ivalo from the UK, but there are flights fromManchester, London and Edinburgh with stop offs in Helsinki between £200 – £300 between November and January. Alternatively, you could fly into Helsinki, and make your own way up north.

3. Jukkasjärvi, Sweden

The village of Jukkasjärvi in the Kiruna region of Sweden is home to the country's first ice hotel. Night flights to see the Northern Lights operate from Jukkasjärvi, but down at ground level, take a tour of the Esrange Space Center, where you can admire Sweden’s starry skies if the Aurora isn’t visible. There are plenty more (cheaper) options for places to stay in Kiruna than an ice hotel, and you can still see the Lights, as well as do fun winter activities like snowmobiling.

Getting there: The northern part of Sweden is pretty remote so you’ll have to fly to Stockholm before flying, driving or getting the train to Kiruna.

The best time to book flights from the UK to Sweden: 19 weeks before departure.

4. Reykjavik, Iceland

Reykjavik is still the most affordable and accessible place to see the Northern Lights, but it’s getting more popular. In January 2015 9,003 Britons visited Iceland, probably because last winter was predicted to be a peak season for the Aurora B. Lights aside, there’s still plenty to do in Iceland. The Blue Lagoon stays hot all year round, and you can go snowmobiling and skiing, as well as hunting out Iceland’s Game of Thrones locations, obviously.

Getting there: Accommodation can be pretty pricey in Reyjavik, but have a look for a deal on Skyscanner hotels. However, thanks to easyJet, flights are reasonable: at the time of writing, the cheapest return flights in January are £95 from Edinburgh, £120 fromBirmingham and £80 from London Luton. If you have ever considered visiting Greenland, you can fly there from Reykjavik. It's extreme, but the Aurora is visible from late September to early April.

The best time to book flights from the UK to Iceland: 14 weeks before departure.

5. Northern Canada

With the cost of a long-haul flight to factor in, Canada is more expensive compared to the other destinations on this list. However, the 'Aurora Oval' covers the majority of the country, including the provinces of Yukon, Northern Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. With the right conditions, you’re highly likely to see the Lights here, and you can fill the rest of your holiday with skiing and other snowy activities, and of course, lots of maple syrup. Canadian Geographic have an awesome map of aurora locations online, and Dark Sky Finder so you can zero in on prime viewing spots. Alternatively, if you are a big city fan then Toronto is a great shout, and here are ten tips for a fantastic trip.

Getting there: You can find flights to an amazing 73 airports in Canada on Skyscanner, many with wonderful names, such as Thunder Bay, Red Deer, and Yellowknife in Northwest Territories.

6. Scotland, United Kingdom

You don’t have to travel far to be within eyesight of the Northern Lights. In February this year, the coast of Caithness in the far north of Scotland was one of the best places to see the Aurora Borealis – check out the seriously awesome video below.

Scotland has a fair few places for finding a dark sky at northerly latitudes and if Aurora activity is forecast it's not far to do an on-spec Lights chase. If you want winter adventures too, Aviemore and the Cairngorms National Park is a good bet, although you may have to get up high for snow cover. The huskies will be hoping for snow at the annual Aviemore Sleddog Rally in January.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO WATCH FOR AURORAL DISPLAYS?

Researchers have also discovered that auroral activity is cyclic, peaking roughly every 11 years. The next peak period is 2013.
Winter in the north is generally a good season to view lights. The long periods of darkness and the frequency of clear nights provide many good opportunities to watch the auroral displays. Usually the best time of night (on clear nights) to watch for auroral displays is local midnight (adjust for differences caused by daylight savings time). http://www.gi.alaska.edu/

LEGENDS OF THE LIGHTS

Fifteen Native Tales about the Northern Lights

http://goodnature.nathab.com/fifteen-native-tales-about-the-northern-lights/

We know today that the aurora borealis, commonly called the “northern lights” occurs when electrically charged particles from the sun zoom into Earth’s atmosphere. The phenomenon is most commonly witnessed during fall and winter months at high-latitude locales, including Alaska and northern Canada.  When you witness the lights streaking across the sky, reaching a height of up to 620 miles, surely you can understand how so many cultures came to develop mystical stories about them.

The aurora, with its striking colors and dance-like movements—seems otherworldly. The lights gave some communities feelings of comfort and happiness while others dreaded their re-appearance, considering them a bad omen.

Here are just 15 such tales:

1. When they witnessed the lights, many Inuit, the Arctic’s indigenous peoples, believed they were spirits of the dead playing a game with a walrus skull as the “ball.” The Inuit of Nunivak Island in the Bering Sea flipped its take on this story believing that it was walrus spirits playing with a human skull.

2. Indigenous Greenlanders believed that the lights were dancing spirits of children who had died at birth.

3. For Wisconsin’s Fox Indians, the aurora gave them a sense of foreboding—representing their slain enemies preparing for revenge.

4. In Alaska, some Inuit groups saw the lights as the spirits of the animals they had hunted, namely beluga whales, seals, salmon and deer.

The Inuit of Hudson Bay dreaded the lights, believing they were the lanterns of demons pursuing lost souls. © Brad Josephs/NHA

5. In Norse mythology, the lights were the spears, armor and helmets of the warrior women known as the Valkyries. They rode on horseback, leading fallen soldiers to their final resting place at Valhalla.

6. The Inuit of Hudson Bay dreaded the lights, believing they were the lanterns of demons pursuing lost souls.

7. In Finland, a mystical fox was thought to have created the aurora, its bushy tail spraying snow and throwing sparks into the sky.

8. Some Algonquin peoples believed their cultural hero, Nanahbozho, relocated to the far north after he finished creating the Earth. He lit large fires, which reflected back to his people in the form of the northern lights. This let them know he was thinking of them, even though they were far apart.

An inukshuk on Hudson Bay, Canada. Inukshuks are believed to have been used by native Arctic peoples for navigational purposes. © Brad Josephs/NHA

9. In perhaps the best oxymoron in British folklore, Scottish legend refers to the lights as “Merry Dancers” engaged in bloody battle.

10. Indians of the Great Plains of North America thought the light display came from northern tribes who were cooking their dead enemies in huge pots over blazing fires.

11. Inuit in Point Barrow, Alaska’s northernmost spot, believed the aurora was evil. They carried knives to protect themselves from it.

12. In Estonia, one legend said the lights appeared when whales were playing games. Another said they were sleighs taking guests to a spectacular wedding feast.

In Alaska, some Inuit groups saw the lights as the spirits of the animals they had hunted, namely beluga whales, seals, salmon and deer. © Eric Rock/NHA

13. Wisconsin’s Menominee Indians saw the lights as torches used by benevolent giants used when they speared fish at night.

14. Fishermen in northern Sweden took the lights as a good prophecy, believing they were reflecting large schools of herring in nearby seas.

15. If you whistled at the aurora, some Native Americans believed it would sweep down and take you away. Clapping your hands, however, caused the lights to retreat, keeping you safe. Meanwhile, in northern Scandinavia, the Sami people hid indoors during the light show.

 With a gradual evolution in medicine. It seems that science holds no bounderies that the impossible before through science it is possible. one of them is Camera Capsule. Well  honestly im naive about medical concern so i did an extensive research about the topic and I will share to all of you my gathered thoughts.

:

Introduction

Wireless capsule endoscopy of the digestive tract was conceived of by Gabi Iddan and Paul Swain independently [Iddan and Swain, 2004; Iddan et al. 2000]. Instead of competing they decided to join forces. In 1997 Paul Swain swallowed the first wireless capsule endoscope in Israel. The transmitted images were of poor quality but the possibility of wireless transmission from the digestive tract to an outside receiver (recorder) was proven to be possible. This opened the way for a controlled study. Capsule endoscopy of the small bowel was compared with push enteroscopy in patients with occult gastrointestinal bleeding. The capsule outperformed push enteroscopy by a ratio of 2 : 1 [Lewis and Swain, 2002]. Based on these findings the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this device for investigations of the small bowel in 2001.

Capsule endoscopy was uniquely fit to examine the small bowel. Direct inspection of the mucosa of the small bowel was made possible without invasive tools and laborious challenging procedures, either for the patient or physician.

The developers of capsule endoscopy sought to extend this methodology to the colon. The thinking was that the colonic surface could be inspected without undergoing colonoscopy which is invasive, uncomfortable (air insufflation), requires sedation and carries a small but not negligible risk of complications. Such a device would lend itself to screening the population for colonic polyps and cancer. However, there were major obstacles that had to be overcome.

Go to:

Evolution of capsule endoscopy

Capsule orientation and camera

The large bowel is anatomically different from the small bowel, and has several challenges. The capsule endoscope has the camera on one end and the radio transmitter unit on the other end. The capsule can enter the small bowel either with the camera or with the radio transmitter leading. Since the small bowel is narrow, the length of the capsule (27 mm) prevents it from turning around. The capsule thus remains oriented in the same direction as it enters the small bowel and transmits images that cover the entire length of the small bowel. However, the colon has a much wider diameter. This allows the capsule to flip around its own axis. Therefore, the camera can change directions: at times the front of the capsule with the camera may be leading and at times the camera may be oriented in the opposite direction. So with a standard capsule there are areas which would be screened twice (when the capsule flips around its axis) and areas that were not to be screened at all.

The engineers solved this problem by adding another camera, so that both ends of the capsule transmit images. This guarantees that the entire surface of the colon is screened no matter how many times the capsule rotates around its own axis in the colon (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3131168/)

What is Capsule Endoscopy?

Capsule Endoscopy lets your doctor examine the lining of the middle part of your gastrointestinal tract, which includes the three portions of the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum). Your doctor will give you a pill sized video camera for you to swallow. This camera has its own light source and takes pictures of your small intestine as it passes through. These pictures are sent to a small recording device you have to wear on your body. 

Your doctor will be able to view these pictures at a later time and might be able to provide you with useful information regarding your small intestine.

Why is Capsule Endoscopy Done?

Capsule endoscopy helps your doctor evaluate the small intestine. This part of the bowel cannot be reached by traditional upper endoscopy or by colonoscopy. The most common reason for doing capsule endoscopy is to search for a cause of bleeding from the small intestine. It may also be useful for detecting polyps, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease), ulcers, and tumors of the small intestine.

As is the case with most new diagnostic procedures, not all insurance companies are currently reimbursing for this procedure. You may need to check with your own insurance company to ensure that this is a covered benefit.

How Should I Prepare for the Procedure?

An empty stomach allows for the best and safest examination, so you should have nothing to eat or drink, including water, for approximately twelve hours before the examination. Your doctor will tell you when to start fasting.

Tell your doctor in advance about any medications you take including iron, aspirin, bismuth subsalicylate products and other over-the-counter medications. You might need to adjust your usual dose prior to the examination.

Discuss any allergies to medications as well as medical conditions, such as swallowing disorders and heart or lung disease.

Tell your doctor of the presence of a pacemaker or defibrillator, previous abdominal surgery, or previous history of bowel obstructions in the bowel, inflammatory bowel disease, or adhesions.

Your doctor may ask you to do a bowel prep/cleansing prior to the examination.

What Can I Expect During Capsule Endoscopy?

Your doctor will prepare you for the examination by applying a sensor device to your abdomen with adhesive sleeves (similar to tape). The pill-sized capsule endoscope is swallowed and passes naturally through your digestive tract while transmitting video images to a data recorder worn on your belt for approximately eight hours. At the end of the procedure you will return to the office and the data recorder is removed so that images of your small bowel can be put on a computer screen for physician review.

Most patients consider the test comfortable. The capsule endoscope is about the size of a large pill. After ingesting the capsule and until it is excreted you should not be near an MRI device or schedule an MRI examination.

What Happens After Capsule Endoscopy?

You will be able to drink clear liquids after two hours and eat a light meal after four hours following the capsule ingestion, unless your doctor instructs you otherwise. You will have to avoid vigorous physical activity such as running or jumping during the study. Your doctor generally can tell you the test results within the week following the procedure; however, the results of some tests might take longer.

What are the Possible Complications of Capsule Endoscopy?

Although complications can occur, they are rare when doctors who are specially trained and experienced in this procedure perform the test. There is potential for the capsule to be stuck at a narrowed spot in the digestive tract resulting in bowel obstruction. This usually relates to a stricture (narrowing) of the digestive tract from inflammation, prior surgery, or tumor. It’s important to recognize obstruction early. Signs of obstruction include unusual bloating, abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting. You should call your doctor immediately for any such concerns. Also, if you develop a fever after the test, have trouble swallowing or experience chest pain, tell your doctor immediately. Be careful not to prematurely disconnect the system as this may result in loss of pictures being sent to your recording device.

Capsule endoscopy may also be called:

• capsule enteroscopy
• wireless capsule endoscopy

Capsule endoscopy allows for examination of the small intestine, which cannot be easily reached by traditional methods of endoscopy. (http://www.asge.org/patients/patients.aspx?id=390)

This is  a photo of Camera Capsule