On September 24th, a powerful storm of solar plasma struck the Earth’s magnetic field, lighting up the night sky.
Across the Northern Hemisphere, from Europe to North America, people with clear skies were able to witness a spectacular red light show that was described by at least one skywatcher as “.Aurora’s Holy Grail‘.
Earth experienced the effects of a coronal mass ejection (CME) late yesterday (September 24, 2023). It was a strong (G3) storm, and many in Europe and northernmost North America were surprised by the sight of a rare red aurora borealis. See below for more information. https://t.co/gNEIyUWJpK
📸Miguel Caballero pic.twitter.com/LGbsNCoknz
— EarthSky (@earthskyscience) September 25, 2023
Red aurora borealis are rare enough on their own, but being able to see them with the naked eye in areas as far south as France and Kansas is pretty amazing.
Centuries ago, people in some of these lower latitudes thought Scarlet skies were an ominous sign of future wars and tragedies.
Today, scientists know The aurora borealis, both green and red, are a natural phenomenon and do not cause any real harm to humans, but that does not make them any less awe-inspiring.
#Aurora From Penrhyn Cornwall! !As far south as possible in the UK and can still be seen#cornwall #Aurora pic.twitter.com/1sXlqRfRjR
— Christopher Probert (@tophe_probert) September 24, 2023
The cause of this beautiful phenomenon is Emission of charged particles Light from the sun interacts with oxygen molecules in Earth’s atmosphere, thereby emitting light.
Depending on where in the atmosphere the charged solar particles collide with oxygen, the resulting light has a different color.
red #Aurora appeared immediately in front of #Aurora Scattered in the sky! September 18, 2023
12:04 a.m. (Central time)
South Indian Lake, MB #Aurora #spaceweather #CME pic.twitter.com/8qqvP0DY95— Rj Roldan ™ 🔅 (@rjayroldan) September 18, 2023
Green curtains are the most common type of aurora and are caused by the emission of light by individual oxygen atoms suspended high in the atmosphere. When the shower of fast electrons has enough energy to push deep into the atmosphere, the more abundant nitrogen atoms and ions emit blue and pink, which mix to form a soft purple at the edge of the curtain. can do.
The deep red light streaks, on the other hand, are caused by the diffusion of oxygen atoms. very high altitude Approximately 200 to 300 kilometers (124 to 186 miles). Typically only seen during particularly high-energy solar storms, this thin gas retains the energy it absorbs for longer periods of time before emitting it at longer wavelengths.
#Aurora #Aurora #Aurora #polarlight #Paula Richter
It exploded suddenly for a few minutes, making it seem like we were also in polar territory here at about 54 degrees north latitude. I was amazed to see every movement and every color 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 It was amazing (ALT-txt) pic.twitter.com/Y0WHd5ZFGz
— Darth Throm BOOzyt📯 (@krasmanalderey) September 24, 2023
Experts had expected a solar storm to occur on September 24th, but its impact was stronger than expected.
The flare that came from the sun almost immediately triggered a strong magnetic storm over Europe, causing bright green and red lights to dance across the sky. Scotland, Icelandand Netherlands.
Last night, much of the western Netherlands was covered in clouds, but thankfully, for a brief moment, we could see bands of intense green and pillars of crimson. #Aurora #NoOrderLicht #poolricht I can now see it.@tamithaSkov @helgavanleur @StormchaserNL @BuienRadar @WeA Plaza @SonyNederland pic.twitter.com/LcoF0c23Or
— Raymond Kamstra (@kamstra_raymond) September 25, 2023
The light show then traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to North America. people far south Kansas and nebraska I could see the sky glow an eerie red, but the effect wasn’t as impressive as it was further north.
of aurora becomes weaker, its color shine becomes more cloudy. On the other hand, the stronger it is, the more bands the light breaks up and arcs across the night sky.
Some shots of the amazing aurora display from Lossiemouth last night 🏴 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · She lit up the moray sky red with the naked eye! 👁🤯 #Aurora @tamithaSkov @Aurora21 @bbcwthrWatchers @aurorawatchuk @_SpaceWeather_ @AuroraAlertApp @SkyeAurora @astro_apps_uk @TweetAurora pic.twitter.com/ZumbEdL6a3
— Stevo Howells (@Stevo_SnakeDR) September 25, 2023
This year has been a particularly fun year for aurora chasers. The last red aurora to grace the skies of North America and Europe appeared just a few months ago. During FebruaryAnd already this September, some amazing aurora displaysalso reached an unusually southern location.
The recent stream of eruptions from the Sun due to an incredibly active solar cycle has included one powerful enough to cause radio interference in the United States in June.
The normal cycle of solar activity is about 11 years, and it is currently nearing its peak.
Earth experienced the effects of a coronal mass ejection (CME) late yesterday (September 24, 2023). It was a strong (G3) storm, and many in Europe and northernmost North America were surprised by the sight of a rare red aurora borealis. See below for more information. https://t.co/gNEIyUWJpK
📸Miguel Caballero pic.twitter.com/LGbsNCoknz
— EarthSky (@earthskyscience) September 25, 2023
It’s nothing to worry about – a natural part of our life on earth – but it will certainly make for a great night.
“Although solar activity has returned to low levels, filament eruptions have been observed throughout the solar disk, particularly in the northeast and northwest.” I have written Experts announced this on EarthSky on September 26th.
“These filaments are hurling ejecta into space, and we are awaiting expert analysis to determine whether components of those explosions are coming our way.”
Please pay attention to the aurora chasers.