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Auroras are Earth’s best free light shows — but they’re not the only plasma trick in the sky. From classic northern lights to mysterious purple STEVE, and from red sprites to glowing ELVES, these atmospheric plasma phenomena make the sky look hacked by a cosmic DJ.
Key facts (TL;DR)
- Auroras = charged particles from the Sun + Earth’s magnetic field → oxygen (green/red), nitrogen (purple/blue) glows.
- STEVE is a narrow purple arc tied to fast subauroral flows (a distinct phenomenon from typical aurora).
- TLEs (sprites, blue jets, ELVES) are transient luminous events above thunderstorms — lightning that shoots upward.
- Forecasts: watch Kp index, solar wind speed, and the auroral oval for your latitude.
📩 Share your photo or sighting (time, location, conditions, camera settings)
Jump to: Famous Phenomena · Forecasts & Alerts · How to Photograph · Weird Facts · FAQs · Explore More · Subscribe & Support
🌍 Famous Plasma Phenomena
- Aurora Borealis & Australis — Neon curtains of light dancing near the poles. → Read about auroras · NOAA SWPC
- STEVE — A weird purple arc first misidentified, later dubbed “Steve.” → Learn about STEVE
- Sprites & Blue Jets — Lightning that shoots upward into the mesosphere. → Explore sprites & jets · NASA: Sprite
- ELVES — Giant, millisecond rings flashing above thunderstorms. → Discover ELVES · NASA: ELVES
- Carrington Event Auroras (1859) — Auroras in the Caribbean; telegraphs sparked and caught fire. → Carrington event article · Harvard History
🛰️ Forecasts & Alerts — See It Tonight
- Auroral Oval & 30-min Forecast → NOAA SWPC OVATION
- Real-time Kp Index → SWPC Kp · Solar wind
- Citizen Reports → Aurorasaurus (live aurora sightings map)
- Space Weather Briefings → ESA Space Weather
Safety: Auroras are safe to view with the naked eye. Never use unfiltered optics near the Sun when chasing dawn/dusk displays.
📸 How to Photograph Auroras, STEVE & Sprites (Quick Guide)
- Find dark skies: look north/south toward the auroral oval; avoid city glow; check Kp ≥ 5 for mid-latitudes.
- Settings (DSLR/phone): ISO 1600–6400, f/1.4–f/2.8, 2–10 s; shorten exposure for fast rays/STEVE to keep structure sharp.
- Composition: include foreground (trees, water, cabins) for scale; use a sturdy tripod; focus at infinity (manual).
- Log the moment: keep EXIF, note location/time and Kp; submit to Aurorasaurus.
🌟 Weird Facts about Auroras & Plasma
- Astronauts watch auroras from above, glowing like night-lights for Earth.
- Sprites can reach ~50 km tall — higher than Mount Everest.
- STEVE isn’t a “true aurora” — it’s a distinct subauroral flow with purple emissions and green “picket fence.”
- Solar storms power the whole plasma rave via coronal mass ejections and high-speed streams.
❓ Auroras & Plasma — FAQs
What causes auroras?
Auroras occur when charged particles from the Sun interact with Earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere near the poles, exciting oxygen and nitrogen to glow in green, red, and purple. → Aurora explainer
What is STEVE and how is it different from auroras?
STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) is a narrow, purple arc associated with fast ion flows. It looks aurora-like but stems from different processes still under study. → More about STEVE · Research hub
What are sprites and blue jets?
Sprites, blue jets, and ELVES are transient luminous events — upward-propagating lightning above storms. Sprites glow red, jets spear upward in blue, and ELVES flash as vast rings. → Plasma events gallery
Can you hear auroras?
Some witnesses report faint crackling or hissing. A leading idea involves charged particles and near-ground electric fields producing audible discharges. → Auroral sounds
🌌 Explore More Sky Oddities
☁️ Unusual Clouds — UFO clouds, mammatus, nacreous, and noctilucent skies.
🌞 Sundogs & Halos — Phantom suns, glowing rings, and ice-crystal illusions.
🌕 Solar & Lunar Oddities — Blood moons, eclipses, and mysterious green flashes.
👉 Or head back to the Sky Oddities Hub for more strange phenomena above our heads.
🔗 Further Reading (Authoritative)
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center — forecasts, Kp, auroral oval
- SpaceWeather: Aurora — science & imagery
- Aurorasaurus — citizen science alerts & sightings
- ESA Space Weather — European briefings
👉 Final Note
Auroras & plasma phenomena prove Earth loves a good light show — from neon curtains to purple arcs, sprites, and blue jets, the atmosphere is basically a cosmic rave gone wild.
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