Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 December 12 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Northern Fox Fires Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Dennis Lehtonen Explanation: [5]In a Finnish myth, when an arctic fox runs so fast that its bushy tail brushes the mountains, flaming sparks are cast into the heavens creating the northern lights. In fact the Finnish word "revontulet", a name for [6]the aurora borealis or northern lights, can be translated as fire fox. So that evocative myth took on a special significance for the photographer of this northern night skyscape from Finnish Lapland near Kilpisjarvi Lake. The snowy scene is illuminated by moonlight. Saana, an iconic fell or mountain of Lapland, rises at the right in the background. But as the [7]beautiful nothern lights danced overhead, the wild fire fox in the foreground enthusiastically ran around the photographer and his equipment, making it difficult to capture in this lucky single shot. Tomorrow's picture: ocean of storms __________________________________________________________________ [8]< | [9]Archive | [10]Submissions | [11]Index | [12]Search | [13]Calendar | [14]RSS | [15]Education | [16]About APOD | [17]Discuss | [18]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [19]Robert Nemiroff ([20]MTU) & [21]Jerry Bonnell ([22]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [23]Specific rights apply. [24]NASA Web Privacy, [25]Accessibility, [26]Notices; A service of: [27]ASD at [28]NASA / [29]GSFC, [30]NASA Science Activation & [31]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2512/Firefox-Lehtonen-Dennis.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://denniina.com/ 5. https://aurora-nights.co.uk/aurora-academy/what-are-the-northern-lights/sami-view-of-the-northern-lights/ 6. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/auroras/ 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231117.html 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251211.html 9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 12. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 14. https://apod.com/feed.rss 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 17. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251212 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251213.html 19. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 20. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 21. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 22. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 24. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 25. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 26. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 27. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 28. https://www.nasa.gov/ 29. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 30. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 31. http://www.mtu.edu/