Scientists from the United States and Canada have found that a rare atmospheric phenomenon dubbed "Steve" by the amateur researchers who discovered it, is not the aurora, despite the similarities. The exact nature of the phenomenon is still unknown. This is reported by Science Alert.
Steve was first spotted by aurora enthusiasts from Alberta Aurora Chasers. They found relatively narrow bands of green and purple light, distinct from the known Aurora Borealis species. This atmospheric phenomenon can extend for hundreds or thousands of kilometers, and the width of the "ribbon" reaches 25-30 kilometers. It was originally thought that "Steve" itself was a rare species of aurora.
However, in a new scientific work, scientists have shown that "Steve" has a different nature. The usual aurora is created through the interaction of the solar wind, which consists of charged particles (protons and electrons) with molecules of the earth's atmosphere. However, on March 28, 2008, when the phenomenon was observed, the orbiting satellite owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) did not register the flow of charged particles. This means that the cause of the emergence of "Steve" is some other mechanism.
Scientists plan to continue research and test if the phenomenon can arise from streams of fast ions and high-energy electrons in the ionosphere.