Bob Yirka is a research scientist at Phys.org.
A group of researchers from New Zealand, the U.S. and Canada have confirmed the first observation of a STEVE. The group details their analysis of multiple sets of data used to describe the rare and unique atmospheric event in their paper.
The citizen scientist noticed something strange in the night sky. He described a red light moving across the sky. He started filming the action after grabbing his camera. Over the course of the next 30 minutes, the arcs slowly turned into what is now known as a STEVE. He was curious about what he had seen so he sent what he had captured to the stargazers. The images were sent to other people. The event was studied by a team of researchers.
Satellites and a sky- imager were some of the sources of data collected by the researchers. After studying all the data, it became clear that the first images captured by Griffith showed a stable Auroral red (SAR) Arc, which is a subauroral structure and an event that is not actually an Aurora but does occur in the atmosphere due to unknown reasons.
The researchers think that the light was caused by charged particles in the upper atmosphere. The signature of a STEVE is not very well understood by the public. Even less is known about the green picket fence which appeared as the STEVE began to fade.
The researchers note that all three of the light events were local and not caused by particles from outside. The event was the first where all three of them were present.
More information: C. Martinis et al, Rainbow of the Night: First Direct Observation of a SAR Arc Evolving Into STEVE, Geophysical Research Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1029/2022GL098511 Journal information: Geophysical Research LettersThere is a science network.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
