New Explore by Theme search - what happened to the Southern Lights"?

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Frank Alvaro avatar
Frank Alvaro avatar

I think the new Explore by Theme search is an excellent addition to Astrobin’s functionality - but why is the aurora theme labelled “Northern Lights”? We do have exactly the same phenomenon here in the southern hemisphere too. I realise that the theme contains images from both hemispheres, but a more all-inclusive title would be appreciated (I know we’re all very busy here looking up at our magnificent southern skies, but still… 😉)

Salvatore Iovene avatar
Salvatore Iovene avatar

Hi Frank,

You’re absolutely right.

The “Northern Lights” label is a historical accident. When I first introduced that subject type, the name was chosen informally and it simply stuck.

It was never meant to exclude southern hemisphere auroras, and as you noticed, the theme already contains images from both hemispheres.

I have this on my list to fix. I will consolidate the theme under the name “Auroras”, which is scientifically accurate, inclusive of both northern and southern lights, and avoids breaking or miscategorizing historical data.

Thanks for pointing it out.

Salvatore

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Frank Alvaro avatar
Frank Alvaro avatar

Thank you. It's not the most important of issues, and I wasn’t losing any sleep over it, but I thought it was worth pointing out.

And thank you for such a wonderful site. I get so much enjoyment from it, both from the images and the forums. Bravo!

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