Solar storm triggers mysterious streaks of light over southern Canada; pics surface

Parts of southern Canada witnessed mysterious streaks of light in the night sky which are said to have been triggered after the recent solar storm which occurred last Sunday. According to NASA, citizen scientists reported 30 instances of such light emission between 2015 and 2016 which has now been named STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement). Appearing like a purple ribbon in the sky, with a green picket fence structure underneath, the STEVE phenomenon is considered somewhat similar to an aurora, however, it is still a mystery to scientists in many aspects. 

Mysterious streaks of light seen over Canada

The images above were shared by a Twitter user who revealed that the streaks of light were spotted on August 7 and August 8 and that the lights appeared for about 40 minutes.

(The STEVE phenomenon; Image: NASA/Neil Zeller)

(Image: NASA/Neil Zeller)

While the scientists don't have all the details about this mysterious phenomenon, NASA says that STEVE is not a normal aurora and that some do not consider it an aurora overall. Auroras, which are called aurora borealis in the North pole and aurora australis in the South, are formed when the charged solar particles interact with the Earth's magnetic field. 

In a 2020 study published in the AGU Advances, the experts suggested that the streaks in STEVE could be moving points of light. Moreover, scientists say that the purple haze is likely the product of ions moving at supersonic speeds, whereas the green emissions are likely leftover eddies. 

According to NASA, such optical features in the sky are classified into two categories-- airglow and aurora. A feature is classified as airglow when atoms in the atmosphere recombine and release some of their stored energy in the form of light. On the other hand, the features are classified as auroras when light is emitted by the bombardment of electrons. It is worth noting that the auroras form in a broad ring and are restricted around Earth’s magnetic poles whereas STEVE can form across the globe. 

Talking about the said study, Elizabeth MacDonald, a space scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center said in an official statement, "STEVE is different than the usual aurora, but it is made of light and it is driven by the auroral system. In finding these tiny little streaks, we may be learning something fundamentally new in how green auroral light can be produced."

Image: NASA