It’s not an aurora, it’s Steve: Rare visual phenomenon in UK skies | Space

The skies over the UK were the scene of an unusual phenomenon this Monday, which usually coincides with the aurora borealis, but this one is different from them.

Steve (abbreviation of Eng Improving the speed of strong heat emission) is given as illustratedAika A NASA“a rare, mysterious and brilliant purple arc that runs from east to west”, and “occurs closer to the equator than the aurora borealis [Hemisfério Norte] and south [Hemisfério Sul]”.

Reported by BBCThe phenomenon was seen in parts of Scotland and north-east England from Sunday to Monday, along with the aurora borealis. It is difficult to predict and has a short duration (between 20 minutes and an hour).

One study Published in the journal Science Scientific advances It helps explain the difference between the two celestial phenomena. The common aurora borealis is the result of the interaction of solar dust with the Earth’s magnetic field, creating strong electric currents that, in turn, “accelerate and accelerate charged particles to the upper level of the atmosphere, where they collide with the gases that form it”.

This collision process transfers energy to atmospheric atoms, which then release energy through the luminous emission of photons. The aurora borealis typically presents colors in a spectrum of green, red, and blue, depending on the gases and the altitude in question.

STEVE is distinguished by its purple, pink, and white appearance, some green hints, and its emissions located low in Earth’s magnetosphere.

The team of scientists involved in the aforementioned study used data collected by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Swarm satellites to better understand the formation of this phenomenon.

According to data collected by one of these satellites during the STEVE event in Canada in 2016, temperatures within these glowing bands can reach 6000 Kelvin (5727°C). Velocity and density parameters recorded high values ​​within the light beam.

This increase in speed and temperature is the origin of the acronym Steve, which represents the phenomenon, and is inspired by dialogue from an animated film. Jump the fence (Over the EdgeIn the original), in which the characters are called “Steve”, to humanize them and make them less fearful, the BBC says.

The scientific study does not present definitive conclusions about the nature of this phenomenon, but suggests that it may be the result of a rapid flow of superheated particles, known as “sub-auroral ion drift” or SAID in English. The phenomenon is not usually associated with optical phenomena. When it does, these are predominantly red in color and last more than 24 hours, unlike STEVE’s shorter duration and purple color.

In the United Kingdom, the BBC notes that the earliest sighting of STEVE is as early as November 2023. In the coming days, the potential for new sightings of the aurora borealis is expected due to very high solar activity and the resulting ejection of particles towards Earth. For Steve, predicting his return is practically impossible.