BackAurora spotted beyond arctics, Iceland. What is causing this phenomenon?
What if we told you, the northern lights, or the shimmer of the aurora borealis has transgressed the boundaries of the arctics, the Iceland and now been spotted in more countries?Read on to know more
PremiumThe green lights that occur oh-so-many times on your Instagram reels must not be an alien to you. Several ‘googling’ later one must have figured out these are the northern lights or the shimmer of the aurora borealis often seen in the sky of Iceland.
But what if we told you, the northern lights, or the shimmer of the aurora borealis has transgressed the boundaries of the arctics, the Iceland and now been spotted in more countries?
Exciting, right?
In recent days, photographers and night sky watchers have been capturing the colorful display further south (or north if you’re in the southern hemisphere) than usual — places like the state of Colorado, the southeast of England and New South Wales, according to a report by CNN.
Pilots have also reportedly circled their planes mid-flight to give their passengers a closer look at the phenomenon.
How auroras occur?
Auroras are caused by activity on the sun — particularly a type of solar storm called a coronal mass ejection, which emits electrified gas and particles into space.
When these electrified particles reach magnetic field lines at the north and south poles, which usually takes around three days, they enter into Earth’s atmosphere.
Clear weather can also help make the auroras more visible.
Why are the Shimmer colourful?
Once there, the particles and energy interact with gases in the atmosphere, producing different colored light in the sky. Oxygen gives off green, the most commonly seen color, as well as red light, according to Aurora Watch at Lancaster University.
Nitrogen glows blue and purple, according to NASA.
How frequent are auroras and where can they be seen?
Over the next few years, the northern lights might appear further south more regularly, CNN quoted Robert Massey, executive director at the Royal Astronomical Society.
The sun goes through an 11-year solar cycle where the flare activity level fluctuates. Cycle 25, the latest one, began in December 2019 with a solar minimum — a period when the sun is still active, but it’s quieter and has fewer sunspots.
We’re now approaching a solar maximum, expected to occur in July 2025, which will be a time when there are a large number of sunspots and increased solar activity.
Massey said the solar events that cause auroras will become more common as we head toward the solar maximum.
Other planets in the solar system also experience auroras.
Jupiter is bathed in spectacular color at its poles, although its powerful auroras are caused by a different mechanism that those on Earth, according to research published in 2021.
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