--- title: "Red Aurora and Two Galaxies: Ukrainian Polar Explorers Capture Unique Antarctic Footage" description: "Ukrainian polar explorers near the Academic Vernadsky station in Antarctica have captured a rare reddish aurora and two neighboring galaxies — the Magellanic Clouds. NASC specialists explained the cause of the unusual color." date: 2026-10-20T09:03:01.234Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/red-aurora-and-two-galaxies-from-antarctica tags: [antarctica, aurora, polar-research, magellanic-clouds, ukraine] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Red Aurora and Two Galaxies: Ukrainian Polar Explorers Capture Unique Antarctic Footage ![A polar researcher in a jacket looks at the night sky with a red aurora and stars over the snowy mountains of Antarctica.](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/20/krasnoe-polyarnoe-siyanie-i-dve-galaktiki-iz-antarktidy/krasnoe-polyarnoe-siyanie-i-dve-galaktiki-iz-antarktidy-1.webp) ## Key Points - Ukrainian polar explorers near the Academic Vernadsky station captured a reddish aurora and two galaxies — the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. - According to the NASC, the red hue occurs when atomic oxygen emits light under the action of solar wind particles at altitudes above 200 km. - The photograph from Galindez Island in Western Antarctica was taken by meteorologist-ozonometrist Serhii Yakushchenko. Ukrainian polar researchers working near the Academic Vernadsky station in Antarctica have captured a rare night sky phenomenon: a reddish aurora borealis against which two neighbouring galaxies are clearly visible. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a joint publication by the press service of the National Antarctic Scientific Center (NASC) and Universe Space Tech on Facebook. ### Why the Aurora Appeared Red The NASC recalled that in the public consciousness, auroras are typically associated with the colour green, yet this atmospheric phenomenon can display a wide variety of shades. Specialists explained that the coloration depends on the types of gases in Earth's atmosphere interacting with charged particles and on the altitude at which the process occurs. When high-energy solar wind particles reach the upper atmosphere, they transfer energy to gas atoms and molecules, which in turn emit light. «Red and green shades are primarily linked to the emission of oxygen itself,» the center emphasized. At altitudes above 200 km, atomic oxygen often produces a red glow, whereas green predominates at lower levels. ### Two Galaxies in a Single Frame In addition to the aurora, two blurred, light-colored nebulous patches among the stars are visible in the images — the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. According to experts, these are dwarf galaxies that serve as satellites to our Milky Way. The Large Magellanic Cloud is located approximately 160,000 light-years from Earth, and the Small is about 200,000 light-years away. Under favorable conditions, both galaxies can be observed with the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere. «These frames combine phenomena of completely different scales: the aurora occurs hundreds of kilometers above Earth, while the light of the Magellanic Clouds traveled through space for hundreds of thousands of years before reaching the camera lens,» the publication noted. ### Who Took the Photo and Where The photographs capturing both phenomena were taken by meteorologist-ozonometrist Serhii Yakushchenko from Galindez Island in Western Antarctica. It was from this vantage point that he managed to capture the moment when the reddish aurora arc and distant galaxies aligned in the same field of view. ### Context: The Sixth Antarctic Season As a reminder, the Ukrainian research vessel Noosphere has already begun its sixth Antarctic season. The mission plans to expand the geography of research and international cooperation. It was also previously reported that the crew for the Academic Vernadsky station has been formed and that a unique protected area was established in Antarctica on Ukraine's initiative. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Красное сияние и две галактики: украинские полярники показали уникальные фото из Антарктики](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/chervone-syayvo-ta-dvi-galaktiki-ukrayinski-1792484259.html) - Primary source: description of the observation, explanation of color via oxygen emission, photographer Serhii Yakushchenko's name, and Galindez Island. - [Украинские полярники показали редкое зрелище возле "Вернадского" – красное сияние и далекие ...](https://kp.ua/life/a737579-ukrainskie-poljarniki-pokazali-redkoe-zrelishche-vozle-vernadskoho-krasnoe-sijanie-i-dalekie-halaktiki) - Confirms the fact of filming near the Academic Vernadsky station, the color mechanism, and the altitude of over 200 km for the red glow. - [Украинские полярники показали удивительное небесное явление](https://korrespondent.net/tech/science/4921440-ukraynskye-poliarnyky-pokazaly-udyvytelnoe-nebesnoe-yavlenye) - Complements the distances to the Large (~160k light-years) and Small (~200k light-years) Magellanic Clouds and their status as Milky Way satellites. ## FAQ ### Why is the aurora red in the photo instead of green? According to the NASC, the red and green shades are associated with oxygen emission. At altitudes above 200 km, atomic oxygen often creates a red glow, whereas green predominates at lower levels. ### What are the two light patches in the image? These are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds — dwarf satellite galaxies of the Milky Way, which are visible to the naked eye in the Southern Hemisphere under favorable conditions. ### Who took the photograph and where? The photo from Galindez Island in Western Antarctica was taken by meteorologist-ozonometrist Serhii Yakushchenko, who works near the Academic Vernadsky station.