Aurorasaurus project STEVE research featured in Washington Post

Aurorasaurus project and STEVE research featured in Washington Post

The Aurorasaurus project, supported by the New Mexico Consortium, was recently featured in the Washington Post in an article highlighting a new phenomenon they have been studying called STEVE.

STEVE, or Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, is an aurora-like phenomenon, but it is not an aurora. STEVE can be thought of as a shy, distant cousin of aurora. It looks as if it could be part of the aurora family, but is also distinctly different. The phenomenon generally appears as a long, slender purple and white arc, sometimes accompanied by a structure that looks like a green picket fence. STEVE is fainter and narrower, and occurs at lower latitudes than most auroras. It is also harder to predict.

Solar activity is expected to be on the rise for the next few years, so there could be good opportunities for the public to spot STEVE. You can check the Space Weather Prediction Center for potential geomagnetic activity.

Aurorasaurus, a citizen-science project, allows the public to report sightings of the aurora and STEVE and connects amateur photographers with scientists.

To read the entire article by Kasha Patel see: How to find STEVE, the purple streak that looks like an aurora but isn’t.

Top image of a STEVE sighting in southern Alberta in May 2018. (Alan Dyer/VWPicks/AP)