03/24/2023
Wonder and Awe and Delight
Last night over Yellowstone, the full beauty of the night sky erupted like the geysers below. The aurora borealis and another phenomenon known as STEVE (no relation) put on a post-dinner show.
Depicted are a panorama of the northern lights, as well as several examples of STEVE. Plus, an astral portrait of .Gagliardi making his own art.
“On March 23-24, auroras spread into the United States as far south as New Mexico (+32.8N) during a severe (category G4) geomagnetic storm--the most intense in nearly 6 years. The cause of the storm is still unclear.” ~SpaceWeather.com
STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) looks like an aurora, but it is not. The phenomenon is caused by hot (3000°C) ribbons of gas flowing through Earth’s magnetosphere at speeds exceeding 6 km/s (13,000 mph). These ribbons appear during strong geomagnetic storms, revealing themselves by their soft purple glow.