Where did the aurora over the Balkans come from and who is Steve who appeared in Britain

The aurora borealis is a phenomenon characteristic mainly in northern latitudes, but this time it was also possible to observe the aurora borealis in other parts of the world

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Photo: PA Media
Photo: PA Media
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

Social networks in the Balkans are full of photos of the aurora borealis, known as the aurora borealis, which turned the sky and this part of Europe red on the evening of November 5, which is an extremely rare phenomenon.

The aurora borealis is a phenomenon characteristic mainly in northern latitudes, but this time it was also possible to observe the aurora borealis. in other parts of the world.

Meteorologist Milenko Jovanović explains that the aurora borealis is created by the collision of electrons from the Sun and atoms in the Earth's atmosphere.

"The sun, as a source of life, emits usually enormous energy.

"Occasionally, however, there are extraordinary energy eruptions on the Sun, when an unusually large emission of electromagnetic radiation, including electrons, occurs.

"Those electrons collide with atoms of atmospheric gases above the Earth at about 100 kilometers or more," Jovanović told the BBC in Serbian.

He adds that in this collision "there is a change in the energy levels of the electrons of atmospheric elements, most often oxygen, which is manifested by light of different colors".

"The transition of the electron to another energy level is accompanied by the emission of a certain energy that we can see in the visible spectrum as green, red, violet," he adds.

The aurora borealis in Serbia is last seen in 2003. and previously in 2000, 1991, and 1958.

"In our country, the aurora borealis is visible every couple of decades, but scientists cannot know in advance when it will appear because the level and time of eruptions cannot be predicted.

"This is a beautiful and admonishing scene that reminds us of how great the energy is in the universe, and how small we are," says Jovanović.

Astrophysicist Tijana Prodanović she explained that the green color in the aurora borealis originates from oxygen atoms located at a height between 100 and 200 kilometers above the Earth's surface.

The aurora borealis was the most visible in Vojvodina, and citizens mostly posted photos of the red sky.

"Red over green is much less common.

"Red is visible when the storms from the Sun are very strong because the red color is created in the upper layers of the atmosphere," Prodanović stated in a post on TikTok.

This was also the reason why it was possible to see the aurora borealis in Serbia, but also in parts of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Aurora borealis appeared in Italy, Germany, Poland.

Cheese VojvodinaMeteo reports that moderate solar storms are expected on November 6 and 7.

"The next major activity should occur during Wednesday and Thursday - November 8 and 9, when it could easily happen that the aurora borealis will be visible again in lower latitudes."

See "Steve" in Great Britain

While the sky was turning red in parts of Europe, "Steve" appeared in Great Britain, primarily in the northeast of England and Scotland.

A thin, purple ribbon lit up the night sky in parts of Britain.

BBC Weather

It is a relatively recent scientific discovery.

"Steve" is not an aurora, but is often associated with its better-known cousin the aurora borealis, which was also recorded in parts of the UK on Sunday.

She has been photographed for decades, but was named Steve only in 2016, after a science project funded by the US Space Agency (NASA) and the National Science Foundation.

Why Steve?

It is believed that the inspiration for the name came from scenes from the animated film Over the Hedge.

In that scene, a group of animals awaken from hibernation to discover another awe-inspiring phenomenon - a large garden hedge.

“What is this thing?” says one creature.

"I'd be a lot less afraid of him if only I knew his name," says another, before the chipmunk suggests they call him Steve.

"I'm a lot less afraid of Steve," the other animal replies.

Scientists later adapted the name into an acronym - "Increasing the rate of strong thermal emission" (Sin Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement).

And it wasn't just sky watchers who showed interest in Steve.

In 2019, the Canadian government minted a $20 collectible coin with a mysterious light.

what is steve

Little is known about its formation and why it can sometimes appear when the aurora borealis does.

NASA's Space Flight Center is studying "Steve" using images from Earth along with satellites.

While auroras generally appear in an oval shape, "Steve" appears as a shimmering band and lasts for 20 minutes to an hour before disappearing.

BBC Weather

While "Steve" has only been spotted in the presence of an aurora, it is no ordinary aurora.

Scientists suggest it consists of a fast stream of extremely hot particles called subauroral ion drift, or SAID.

Because Steve is unpredictable and only lasts for a short time, filming this phenomenon from the ground is rare.

The phenomenon has been reported from Great Britain, Canada, northern American states and New Zealand, according to NASA.

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