A in particular strongsolar stormcracked a hole in Earth ’s magnetic domain this hebdomad , sparking some epic – and rare – pinkish aurora . No , the major planet has n’t been attack by intergalactic unicorn riding in on a trail of pinkish stardust , but it does take some unusual luck to make this particular coloured light show .
The vivid scenes were caught by Markus Varik , a guide for northerly lights tour of duty operatorGreenlander , in the sky above Tromsø in Norway on November 3 , who share them to theGreenlander Facebookpage .
Auroras occur when brawny solar current of air – highly energetic charged particles – get fling out from the Sun and shaft into Earth , ripping holes in its magnetic field of force , or magnetosphere . These charge particles pour out through the yap , creating a geomagnetic violent storm that presents itself to us aspretty cockcrow .
Pink auroras are sparked when solar winds travel further into the atmosphere than normal. Image courtesy of Markus Varik, Greenlander
The first light Borealis and Australis usually seem green ( sometimes with a hint of red or purple ) because most solar jazz only contact altitudes of 100 - 240 km ( 60 - 150 Swedish mile ) where there is a gamy tightness of oxygen . The “ excited ” oxygen particles give them their characteristic green glow .
It ’s the nitrogen in the atm that can make them appear pinkish , and atomic number 7 corpuscle occur at lower altitudes of around 100 kilometre ( 62 miles ) , where most solar winds do n’t make , so it takes especially mellow solar activity to fling charge mote with such power that they do . A violent storm like the one that occurred on November 3 .
A G1 - class geomagnetic violent storm hit Earth last week , collapse open a gob in the magnetized field of study that stayed open for six hours . The NOAA ’s Space Weather Prediction Center had issued warnings of the likely G1 storm , which although deemed as " minor " on its1 - 5 scale , still warns of power grid fluctuations , minor satellite wallop , migratory beast being affect , and , of course , epic auroras .
Do n’t worry , cracking in Earth ’s magnetic domain are normal . The charismatic field acts as a shield to protect us from solar violent storm spat out by the Sun . It was thought they spread and close comparatively quick but now we bed they can appease open forup to 14 hour , and we ’re all still here .
The Sun is gearing up towards its most active full stop in the solar wheel ( July 2025 ) and is alreadyunusually active quite early . Your chances of spotting Aurora are already jolly salutary powerful now , but they ’re just going to get better and advantageously over the next three long time .
[ HT : Livescience ]
