Sky watchers around the world enjoyed a spectacular light show of the Northern Lights over the weekend Northern lights It has been reported as far south as Greece and Turkey.
The colorful aurora displays were triggered by a powerful geomagnetic storm that peaked as a powerful G3 on November 5 at 12:40 PM EDT (1740 GMT) on the 5-degree scale used by the probe. US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) To assess the severity Space climate Events.
Geomagnetic storms are disturbances Earth’s magnetic field Caused by solar materials from Coronal mass ejection (CME) – large ejections of plasma and magnetic fields from Sun atmosphere. This geomagnetic storm was caused by not one but two coronal ejections that collided with it Land On November 4 and 5, according to spaceweather.com
Related: Aurora colors: what causes them and why are they different?
During a solar storm, particles are activated from… the sun hit Earth’s atmosphere At speeds of up to 45 million miles per hour (72 million km/h) our planet’s magnetic field directs particles toward the poles. Overcharging of molecules in Earth’s atmosphere results in colorful scenes, which usually remain restricted to areas at the high latitudes of the aurora borealis (northern lights) and low latitudes of the aurora australis (southern lights).
Below, we take a look at some of the best images of the aurora borealis captured by skywatchers around the world.
Debbie Thorne captured this beautiful display from Cullen on the Moray Firth in Scotland using an iPhone 14 Pro in Night mode on November 5.
“I’m lucky to have seen the aurora borealis many times as I lived on the west coast of Scotland – and lucky to see them on the Moray Firth where we live now.” “But I have to say the show last night was amazing,” Thorne told Space.com.
“I have never seen such bright pinks – usually green with pale pink. I never tire of seeing them and often feel overwhelmed by this amazing thing that is happening in the sky and we are just a dot. I often wonder what our ancestors must have had.” “When they see the sky dancing, I feel very lucky to have been able to experience that through my back door in Scotland.” Thorne continued.
Meteorologist Angel Enriquez was working the evening shift at the National Weather Service in Glasgow, northeastern Montana, when his colleague alerted him to an aurora light show.
“A co-worker was collecting her own photos when she texted ‘Go outside now,'” Enriquez told Space.com. “I took the tripod to the darkest place in the office, which happened to be next to the radar, and took some memorable photos.”
Astrophotographer Josh Dorey watched the red aurora from the Mendip Hills in Somerset, UK.
“On the night of the shoot, I was scouting as many locations as the clear skies would allow.” “With most of the southwest under cloud, clear skies persisted at The Mendips,” Dorey told FoundSpace.org. “Making it possible to see a window onto the aurora borealis and capture the beautiful red plumes low on the northern horizon.”
Astrophotographer Gareth Moon-Jones captured a stunning view of the aurora borealis over Penmun Lighthouse on the Isle of Anglesey.
“A massive display on Anglesey tonight,” Jones said Written on X. “My friend was thrilled to see one of the best northern lights displays in a long time.”
Philip McErlane Watch the aurora borealis shine over the southern shores of Lough Neagh Island, Northern Ireland.
“It was an exceptional night of the aurora borealis here in Northern Ireland and one of the best displays I have ever seen/photographed.” McErlane told Space.com
Many skywatchers also took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their encounters with the aurora borealis.
Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov She was confused when she retweeted photos of the bright red aurora seen over Greece.
“Even though this solar storm peaked at G3, this view is already special. I wonder if Earth’s changing magnetic field and increasing tropical aurora displays are playing a role here?” Skoff wrote.
Confused: #Northernlight decorates the sky of Greece. Although this #solarstorm peaked at G3, this view is truly special. Wondering if Earth’s changing magnetic field and increasing tropical aurora displays play a role here? https://t.co/eRA9wwlcEhNovember 6, 2023
Northern lights have been reported in Türkiye.
The northern (polar) lights caused by geomagnetic storms seen in many regions of Turkey..#Tekirdağ #istanbul #yalova #samsun #van #Türkiye#aurora #solar #geomagneticstorm #jeomanyetik #northernlights#kuzeyışıkları #Auroraborealis pic.twitter.com/ 8OGovoJ7IkNovember 5, 2023
Travel and landscape photographer Paul Pichugin This stunning time-lapse photo of the aurora borealis lighting up the sky in Busselton, Western Australia.
Timeline video of Aurora Australis over Busselton, Western Australia late last night and early this morning! #WesternAustralia #Aurora pic.twitter.com/v8KG3UM7WbNovember 5, 2023
Landscape photographer Alistair Hamill Capture the first subauroral arc of solar cycle 25.
“I had to try to get a panorama that would fit everything. This arch was right above my head at the time!” Hamill posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
A spectacular aurora display last night at Glenarm – including the first sub-auroral arc of solar cycle 25! I had to try to get a panorama that would fit everything. This bow was right above my head at the time! pic.twitter.com/MLQOh8Lp14November 5, 2023
But not all light shows were aurora! During the height of the storm, Steve appeared to some!
Steve is an aurora-like glow that often accompanies the northern lights, but it is a distinct phenomenon, according to American Geophysical Union (AGU). The abbreviation stands for Strong Thermal Emission Speed Enhancement. STEPH is caused by streams of hot gas (5,400°F or 3,000°C) flowing through the Earth’s magnetosphere. When these currents are activated by geomagnetic storms, they emit light, according to spaceweather.com.
Stephen Lomas managed to photograph the mysterious Steve atop Dunstanburgh Castle, Northumberland, UK.
picture 1 to 3
“It was the most powerful aurora display I’ve seen in 8 years of photography,” Lomas told Space.com. “The highlight was seeing the halo and Steve too!”
Lomas also captured the legendary spectacle with the vibrant green and red aurora dancing over Dunstanburgh Castle.
picture 1 to 3
Photographer Martin McKenna (Night Hunter) Go to X to post some great photos of Steve.
“I’ve been observing the aurora borealis since 1998 through 180 views, and this is my first sighting, what a show!” McKenna wrote on X.
A stunning sight over Swatragh last night in the form of STEVE (proton arc) stretching across the entire sky from west to east and burning near Jupiter. I have been observing the aurora borealis since 1998 through 180 views, and this is my first sighting, what a show! https://t.co/19Wt2BjIl1 #Steve pic.twitter.com/6Vma3zeAfNNovember 6, 2023
Editor’s note: If you have captured stunning images of the aurora borealis (or any other phenomenon in the night sky) and would like us to consider featuring them on Space.com, please email them to [email protected].
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