Unusual Orange Auroras Seen in Scotland After Solar Storm Smashed Into Earth

Orange auroras are supposedly invisible. However, they were seen popping over Scotland's sky following the smashing of a solar storm onto Earth.

Orange Auroras Seen Following Solar Storm Smash

This ethereal spectacle came after a canyon of fire solar storm hit the planet. The auroras were seen and captured by photographer Graeme Whipps in the sky over Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This was around 6:00 pm on November 25.

Whipps notes that the hues were quite an incredible sight. The orange auroras surfaced during an auroral activity peak that took place for roughly an hour. During the cosmic light show, Whipps was also able to snap a meteor that soared through the sky.

The photographer also explains that he was not able to see the auroras with his own naked eyes. However, his camera was able to capture their unique glow.

These auroras came as part of a G2 minor geomagnetic storm, which refers to a disturbance in the Earth's magnetosphere. The sight was triggered by a coronal mass ejection (CME) that hit the Earth prior to the appearance of the auroras.

The CME was released from a huge plasma loop, or solar prominence, that ended up snapping and flinging into space. This left behind a huge valley in the Sun's surface, called a canyon of fire.

Aurora Borealis

Auroras usually show up when particles of high energy that come from solar wind or CMEs bypass the magnetic field and upper atmosphere's superheat gas molecules. The molecules that are excited end up releasing energy in light form. The exact color may vary depending on the specific excited element and location in the sky.

These ethereal lights commonly have a green or red hue, which are both caused by molecules of oxygen at varying altitudes. Red ones tend to be produced at higher altitudes compared to their green counterparts.

Rare pink auroras can also be triggered when particles hit deep into the atmosphere and end up stirring nitrogen molecules.

In theory, both nitrogen and oxygen molecules are able to release faint wavelengths of orange in certain conditions. However, in cases where this takes place, the rare color gets overwhelmed by reds and greens. Because of this, it is virtually impossible to see such wavelengths.

In the new shot, the orange hues are caused by the mixture of green and red light. This only takes place when green and red auroras' vertical bands overlap perfectly. Because of this, they are considered extremely rare.

Similar orange hues were also seen during a geomagnetic storm that hit Canada on October 19.

Check out more news and information on Aurora Borealis in Science Times.