Suomi NPP satellite has photographed aurora borealis (dancing lights) above Hudson Bay in waves. The phenomenon, according to NASA, is a reminder that even on the night side of the planet, the Earth continues to receive solar radiation.
NASA Earth Observatory said the aurora borealis, often known as the northern lights, was visible throughout North America and Northern Europe for many evenings following a recent geomagnetic storm. The Suomi NPP satellite, in addition to skywatchers, saw the unusual sight.
NASA Satellite Captures Stunning Aurora Borealis Over Hudson Bay
The iconic swirling lights of the aurora borealis above Hudson Bay and central Canada can be seen in this image supplied by the agency. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument on the satellite obtained the photo on Feb. 4, 2:20 a.m. CDT (3:20 EDT).
The VIIRS "day-night band," which monitors evening light emissions and reflections such as airglow, city lights, and reflected moonlight, enabled the creation of the nighttime picture.
At 2:20 a.m. Central Daylight Time (08:20 Universal Time) on February 4, 2022, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite acquired this image of the aurora borealis, or “northern lights,” over central Canada and Hudson Bay.
SciTechDaily said the auroras were a visual manifestation of a mild geomagnetic storm created by the combination of pressure waves and electromagnetic radiation from the Sun colliding with the Earth's magnetic field. The Sun was blasting high-speed solar wind through a brief breach in the solar corona on this occasion.
Why Aurora Borealis, Australis Happen
Britannica said aurora borealis and its southern counterpart, the aurora australis, occur when solar particles contact with the Earth's atmosphere and excite the nitrogen and oxygen particles that generate what seems to be dancing lights in the sky.
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According to NASA, humans witnessing the aurora are watching "a billion separate collisions" that light up the Earth's magnetic field lines.
The sun climbs to a maximum during solar cycles, which last around 11 years (per NOAA), and then "settles back down" before the next cycle begins.
During the solar minimum, active zones are often tiny, and fewer solar flares are reported. However, this rises when the sun approaches solar maximum or peak activity.
About CMEs
Close to the solar cycle's peak, coronal mass ejections (CME) are more common. The northern and southern lights are caused by space weather when the Earth is in the path of a CME.
According to NASA Earth Observatory, the sun will reach its maximum in the current Solar Cycle 25 around mid-2025. This might imply more chances to see the aurora.
Citizen scientists will be able to contribute to scientific research of the phenomena. Aurorasaurus, a citizen science program that allows individuals to help track auroras all across the world is one approach to achieve this.
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