Predominantly found in higher altitudes in the Arctic and Antarctic region, Aurora Borealis is one of the most beautiful sights Mother Nature has to offer. Its shades and hues of different colours juxtaposed beautifully against the sky make?it a site so breathtaking.
Over the years, people from around the globe have been flocking different places on the planet just to get a glimpse of this phenomenon and now there's something new to it.?
Read more:?Iceland's Capital City Shut Down All Lights To Witness The Spectacular Aurora Sky Shower
Aurora-chasers in southern Canada have been witnessing a new shade in its otherwise multicoloured strikes, and it's purple with a hint of green. This mysterious streaks that started popping up in 2015-2016 have now been named 'Steve'.?
In the two years (2015-2016), people have seen it multiple times and even reported it to Elizabeth MacDonald, a NASA space physicist. And so, after closely studying 30 reports, she came to a conclusion that something new was happening in the region.?
When Earth¡¯s magnetic field interacts with electrically charged particles emitted by the sun - we get Aurora, a scintillating phenomenon unique to earth's poles. But what was happening here was a little different.?
Thorough research and deep observation on the subject led the scientist to a discovery in July 2017 that Steve only appears when solar particles are moved rapidly from east to west by the interaction of both electrical and magnetic fields.?
This interaction only happens at points around 60 degrees north of the equator. Upon understanding it fully, the scientist decided to keep the name Steve and gave it an acronym: Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.?