For people who are unfamiliar with nature's most impressive light show -- the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights -- a new book called Chasing the Northern Lights (
According to the book's author -- Hung Chia-huei (
Hung has visited Fairbanks 12 times since 1995 to photograph the northern lights. About 200 of Hung's 3,000 photos have been chosen for the book -- the first book published in Taiwan on the theme of northern-lights tourism.
PHOTO: CHIU YU-TZU, TAIPEI TIMES
"For people living in subtropical Taiwan, chasing the northern lights near the Arctic Circle not only allows them to experience this wonderful natural phenomenon but also to enjoy the rich cultural and historical resources of Alaska," Hung said yesterday.
The northern lights' beautiful blaze is caused when material thrown off by the sun collides with Earth's atmosphere.
Hung said that there is a lot of variation in the northern lights. Sometimes the lights are stationary, but sometimes they change their position, brightness and color.
The brighter auroras are usually yellowish-green, often tipped with red along their lower edges -- but many other colors are sometimes seen, including silver-white, pink, pale and deep red, blue, violet and violet-gray.
The shapes shown in the book include arcs, bands, patches, rays, coronas and other forms, Hung said.
"In addition to allowing readers to experience the beauty of the northern lights, I hope the book can offer Taiwanese adventurers a new theme for study and exploration," Hung said.
Hung said he had never met any Taiwanese people during his trips to Fairbanks. However, Japanese tourists travel in great numbers to view the northern lights.
The book also contains information about Denali National Park, near Fairbanks, where moose, caribou, Dall sheep and grizzly bears can be seen. The book also covers cultural topics such as ice art and the lifestyles of mushers (people who drive dog sleds) and their helpers, such as Siberian huskies and Alaskan malamutes.
Hung said that because the book explains and vividly illustrates the phenomenon of the northern lights, it would make a good source for high school teachers who want to help their students learn about geoscience.
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