A new kind of luminescence phenomenon like aurora "Steve" is discovered by amateur astronomers

Although I can not readily see it in Japan,Polar regionThe band of light spreads in the night sky when various conditions are gathered in the high latitude area centering on "AuroraThe phenomenon called "fantasy" is popular as an object of astrophotography. Like this aurora, a mysterious luminescence phenomenon blinking in the night sky"Steve"It was observed from around 2015 to 2016 among amateur astronomers,NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

Mystery of Purple Lights in Sky Solved With Citizen Scientists' Help | NASA
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/mystery-of-purple-lights-in-sky-solved-with-help-from-citizen-scientists

IT engineer, IT engineer living in Canada's Regina, noticed that the aurora appeared when looking up at the night sky on July 25, 2016. Mr. Brassa went hiying to take the camera and photographed the aurora, but I noticed a different appearance, a ribbon of light purplish light. Mr. Blassa who took a picture of the aurora with a camera for over 30 years since he was in his teens, but he noticed that the light purplishment light he sees is different from the aurora I saw so far.


There were about 30 people reporting that I witnessed this mysterious light besides Ms. Brassa. Aurora observation & tracking project by amateur scientists sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation "Aurora SaulusHowever, the mysterious purple light mixed in the aurora has become a topic, among the participants,CG animation released in 2006It was called "Steve" after Steve.

Amateur scientists contacted NASA through the Aurora Saulus and sent a photograph of "Steve" to the space physicist Elizabeth McDonald. McDonald's saw the report of more than 30 and noticed that "Steve" is different from ordinary aurora. However, even if consulting with other scientists, I do not know what the identity of this phenomenon is.

From the sun "Solar windGas of charged particles called "Earth is spraying it. Aurora is a phenomenon that occurs when charged particles accumulated at high latitude collide with molecules in the atmosphere and emit light due to the magnetism of the earth. A wide light band like a curtain is characteristic, and the color is various like green, white, red and so on.


On the other hand, "Steve" is characterized by a very thin purple light ribbon. In addition, it seems that several green light streaks are flowing so as to overlap the purple light. "Steve" and Aurora seem to be the same in terms of luminescence phenomenon that colors the night sky, but its appearance and movement are totally different.

So, McDonald's to investigate "Steve"ESA(European Space Agency) launched Geomagnetic Observation Satellite "SWARMWe made observations from outer space by utilizing.


As a result, it turned out that charged particles forming "Steve" were along the geomagnetic layer different from that of Aurora, and were found to occur at a place with a relatively lower latitude than the polar region.

In addition, it turned out that "Steve" is related to a phenomenon called "sub aurora zone ion drift" (SAID). SAID is a phenomenon that particles become high temperature in the process of charged particles flowing from the east to the west at high speed due to the relationship with the earth's magnetic field and electric field, but how SAID concretely leads to Steve's light emission phenomenon It is clearly unknown, NASA is staring that an unknown process is sleeping there.


NASA named this newly discovered luminescence phenomenon "Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement" (a strong thermoelectron emission rate increase). When you list the initials of this name, it is abbreviated as "STEVE", which means that I showed respect to amateur astronomers who discovered "Steve".