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sl8

(16,247 posts)
Mon Nov 6, 2023, 07:27 AM Nov 2023

Northern Lights: What is Steve and why is it different to an aurora borealis?

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-67331747

Northern Lights: What is Steve and why is it different to an aurora borealis?

Published 1 hour ago



BBC WEATHER
Ribbon of purple light during an aurora event known as Steve captured in Argyll by Weather Watcher 'R Westerman'


By Simon King & James Gregory
BBC Weather and BBC News

[...]

The thin, purple ribbon, which was seen glowing in the sky in Northumberland, County Durham and Argyll, is a relatively new scientific discovery.

Steve is not an aurora but is often associated with its better known cousin, the aurora borealis - or Northern Lights - which was also captured across parts of the UK on Sunday.

The much rarer Steve has appeared in the pictures BBC Weather were sent from their Weather Watchers.

It has been photographed for decades but only got the name Steve in 2016, following a US citizen science project funded by Nasa and the National Science Foundation.

[...]

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Northern Lights: What is Steve and why is it different to an aurora borealis? (Original Post) sl8 Nov 2023 OP
A pretty big solar flare happened... 2naSalit Nov 2023 #1
Thanks for that. nt sl8 Nov 2023 #2
Wish I could see it... 2naSalit Nov 2023 #3
thanks for this . adding it to my forecasting tools. AllaN01Bear Nov 2023 #4
in the 1980s when we were at another solar high , i saw comet hale bop and a purple curtin n .l AllaN01Bear Nov 2023 #5

2naSalit

(92,948 posts)
1. A pretty big solar flare happened...
Mon Nov 6, 2023, 07:31 AM
Nov 2023

And directed at us. Could see the aurora tonight.

Info with lots of graphics and an aurora prediction tool here:

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/space-weather-enthusiasts-dashboard

2naSalit

(92,948 posts)
3. Wish I could see it...
Mon Nov 6, 2023, 07:58 AM
Nov 2023

And there's a meteor shower peaking as of last night. But we have overcast skies for the next couple days.

I thought to check yesterday when the Internet got really slow and my FM radio was having signal issues. I went to that site and saw that quite an event had occurred. I forgot to post about it last night.

AllaN01Bear

(23,137 posts)
5. in the 1980s when we were at another solar high , i saw comet hale bop and a purple curtin n .l
Mon Nov 6, 2023, 10:30 AM
Nov 2023

nice to meet u steve. purdy

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