AI & Astronomy Imagery Exhibit
Auroral Hummingbird over Norway
Astronomy Picture of the Day: February 10, 2025
Image Credit: Mickael Coulon
APOD Explanation: Is this the largest hummingbird ever? Although it may look like a popular fluttering nectarivore, what is pictured is actually a beautifully detailed and colorful aurora, complete with rays reminiscent of feathers. This aurora was so bright that it was visible to the unaided eye during blue hour -- just after sunset when the sky appears a darkening blue. However, the aurora only looked like a hummingbird through a sensitive camera able to pick up faint glows. As reds typically occurring higher in the Earth's atmosphere than the greens, the real 3D shape of this aurora would likely appear unfamiliar. Auroras are created when an explosion on the Sun causes high energy particles to flow into the Earth's atmosphere and excite atoms and molecules of nitrogen and oxygen. The featured image was captured about two weeks ago above Lyngseidt, Norway.
AI Interpretations
AI Generated Description
The image is a stunning depiction of the Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis. The captivating display features vibrant hues of purple, green, and hints of yellow cascading across the night sky. The luminescent colors seem to swirl and dance, creating a dramatic effect reminiscent of flowing fabric or celestial flames. In the foreground, there's a snow-covered landscape with rocky terrain, hinting at a colder environment typical of regions where the northern lights are prevalent. Sparse trees, possibly evergreens, line the upper edge of this snowy expanse. The scene is accompanied by countless stars twinkling in the deep blue night sky, enhancing the ethereal quality of the aurora. This striking natural phenomenon is a breathtaking reminder of the beauty and wonder found in our world, especially in the polar regions during winter nights.
AI Generated Images
Discussion
When a person looks at this photograph, the bird-like shape of the aurora jumps out immediately, however Chat GPT 40-mini can only describe it as an aurora over a snowy landscape. The artistic impression of the hummingbird requires our ability to make connections and see patterns. This is completely absent from what the AI chatbot sees, leaving its description lackluster and generic despite its use of words like "captivating" and "celestial."
When the explanation was provided to Invoke, it is apparent that the image generating models struggled with the abstract nature of the bird seen in the pattern of the aurora, instead inserting the general image of a hummingbird into the scene, superimposing it on the aurora. Surprisingly, the Stable Diffusion model we used was able to generate an image of aurora that might leave someone with the vague impression of a bird's wing. In general, the models were successfully able to generate recognizable, if not always realistic, aurora.