Aurora hunting truly paid off for those who headed outside in clear parts of Northern England and Scotland last night (October 7). A rare phenomenon, STEVEwas spotted in our skies, showing up as a string of purple and green lights. What is more, northern lights were spotted as far South as Norfolk!
Who is STEVE?
STEVE’s full name is Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement. As a recent scientific discovery, little is known about its occurrence. Usually appearing alongside the Northern Lights, STEVE appears as a ribbon of purple and green and lasts a short time, between 20 minutes and an hour.
Auroras are caused by protons and electrons following a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) and solar flares, which release photons and energetic particles, while STEVE is a result of hot gassescalled a sub-auroral ion drift (SAID). Both the Northern Lights and STEVE are a direct consequence of space weather which interacts with our planet’s magnetic field.
The last time the UK caught a glimpse of STEVE was in November of 2023.
How did STEVE get his name?
Most of us have seen the animated movie ‘Over The Hedge’. Apparently, the phenomena got its name Steve inspired by the film first, and the acronym only followed later on. The ‘Over The Hedge’ animal characters ended up naming the huge garden hedge Steve so it appears less scary.
The Northern Lights around the UK
The country was also delighted by a fantastic Northern Lights display as far South as Buckinghamshire last night (October 7 and 8) and on Sunday (October 6), delighting skywatchers throughout.
While further aurora sightings are possible in the coming days as the Solar activity remains high, we have not seen any reliable reports to prove it so far. Plus, we all know what the UK weather is like! So, just watch this space for any further updates.
