Could be “Steve” the wings of the Milky Way and the Milky Way an Angel?

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During the the moderate G2 geomagnetic storm on September 15, 2017, a mysterious phenomenon appeared in the sky accompanied by northern lights over the Alberta, Canada.

An strange auroral phenomenon called ‘Steve’ that amazingly looks like an angel or a bird with its milky way body.

Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada, steve alberta september 16 2017, canada steve angel milky way
Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada. By Catalin Tapardel via Alberta Aurora Chasers
Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada, steve alberta september 16 2017, canada steve angel milky way
Or it is a bird flying to heaven? By Catalin Tapardel via Alberta Aurora Chasers
Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada, steve alberta september 16 2017, canada steve angel milky way
The mysterious Steve phenomenon (red) looks like the wings of an angel which body is the Milky Way. By Catalin Tapardel via Alberta Aurora Chasers

But the weird sky phenomenon was also spotted and photographed in other locations. Here the best pictures:

Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada, steve alberta september 16 2017, canada steve angel milky way
A zoom on the wings of the angel. @ Lake Minnewanka by Chandresh KN
Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada, steve alberta september 16 2017, canada steve angel milky way
Steve is an atmospheric optical phenomenon, which appears as a light ribbon in the sky, formally discovered in 2017 by aurora watchers from Alberta, Canada. @ Kootenay Crossing, BC by Ty Brooks
Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada, steve alberta september 16 2017, canada steve angel milky way
These Steve phenomena are caused by a 25 km wide ribbon of hot gasses at an altitude of 300 km, temperature of 3000 °C and flowing at a speed of 6 km/s (compared to 10 m/s outside the ribbon). @ Castle Junction by Benny Grossman
Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada, steve alberta september 16 2017, canada steve angel milky way
As electrons hit the different gases, we can see them emit different colours of light, producing what are colloquially called the Southern and Northern lights. @ Peyto by Christy Turner via Alberta Aurora Chasers
Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada, steve alberta september 16 2017, canada steve angel milky way
Protons can hit the gases as well, but while the electrons they bump loose can cause light to spill down, the wavelengths emitted by the proton collisions themselves aren’t visible. @ Minnewanka by Adam Goddwillie via Alberta Aurora Chasers
Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada, steve alberta september 16 2017, canada steve angel milky way
While this beautiful cousin to the aurora might be new to scientists, it’s certainly not because it’s a rare phenomenon. @ Travers Reservoir by Elfie Hall
Steve and Milky Way bild up an angel in the sky of Alberta in Canada, steve alberta september 16 2017, canada steve angel milky way
The angel or bird in the sky: Steve (wings) and milk way (body). @ Near Dalemead by Richard M. Dunstan

Watch some other amazing auroral display of the last geomagnetic storms here.

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2 Comments

  1. “Could be ‘Steve’ and his friend picked fence, the wings of Milky Way and Milky Way an Angel?”

    I strongly suspect that title is impossible to parse.

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