If you have ever seen the northern or southern lights, you know how mesmerizing they can be. But did you know that there is another type of light show in the sky that is not an aurora? Meet Steve, a mysterious phenomenon that has been captivating aurora chasers and scientists alike.
Steve is an acronym for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, and it appears as a narrow ribbon of purple and green light that stretches across the sky from east to west. Unlike the aurora, which is caused by charged particles from the sun interacting with Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, Steve is thought to be the result of a stream of hot plasma that flows at high speed in the upper atmosphere. Steve is also much hotter than the aurora, reaching temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees Celsius (5,430 degrees Fahrenheit).
Steve was first discovered by a group of amateur photographers and citizen scientists from Alberta, Canada, who noticed the unusual glow in their pictures of the aurora. They named it Steve after a scene from the animated movie Over the Hedge, where the characters give a friendly name to a hedge that appears overnight. They also shared their observations with researchers from NASA and the University of Calgary, who confirmed that Steve was a new and distinct phenomenon.
Since then, Steve has been spotted in many places around the world, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and the northern United States. Steve usually occurs in conjunction with the aurora, but it can also be seen further away from the poles. Steve typically lasts for about 20 minutes to an hour, and it can be seen with the naked eye or with a camera.
If you want to catch a glimpse of Steve, you need to be in the right place at the right time. Steve is more likely to occur during periods of high solar activity, when the sun emits more energetic particles that reach Earth. You also need to have a clear and dark sky, away from light pollution. You can use apps or websites that track aurora activity and alerts, such as Aurorasaurus or Space Weather Live, to increase your chances of seeing Steve. And of course, you need to have a sense of wonder and curiosity, because Steve is a rare and beautiful sight that will leave you in awe.
إرسال تعليق