Northern Lights lovers had a great time watching the natural phenomenon over the past two nights. In the UK, fans even enjoyed the rare phenomenon known as Stevein its full name Strong Thermal Emission Speed Improvement, a short-lived and unpredictable light show.
Although it is not a completely known phenomenon, it is known that it is a rapid flow of extremely hot particles derived from subauroral ions. While regular so-called auroras occur in an oval shape, Steve appears as a vertical line and lasts between 20 minutes and an hour until it dissipates.
This is a relatively new scientific discovery and was seen on Sunday night and Monday in areas of Scotland and the northeast of England, according to the BBC. There have also been some sightings of these types of Northern Lights in the far south of Buckinghamshire and Norfolk. The last sightings of the phenomenon date back to November 2023.
“Steve” the mysterious phenomenon that dyes the sky violet and green
According to a study published by Science Advances, this phenomenon differs from the traditional northern lights because it is a column of violet lights, narrow and oriented vertically – which is aligned from east to west -, to which a color is then added. greenish, extending over hundreds or even thousands of kilometers.
The northern lights came down from the North and illuminated the skies from Spain to Greece and there were those who saw them in Portugal (the photo of the lilac sky is in Figueira)
The Northern Lights Prediction System of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States (NOAA) reports on high solar activity and the level of probability of being able to witness a Northern Lights in the coming days.
Activity on the Sun has remained high since last week’s one of the biggest solar storms in seven years. Solar winds have sent charged particles towards Earth and auroras are expected in recent nights and, as solar activity remains relatively high, more northern lights will be possible in the coming nights.
Source: Observadora
