aurora

Latest about aurora

An image of the spinning orb of blue light moving across an aroura-filled sky in Alaska.

Chinese rocket photobombs aurora with spinning orb of light

By Harry Baker published

A spinning orb of light that slowly moved across the sky in Alaska on March 29 was actually frozen fuel left by a Chinese rocket, according to experts.

Space Exploration
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory capture an image of the sun ejecting filaments of plasma from an active spot (the bright area to the right from the center of the image).

A 12,000-mile-deep 'canyon of fire' has opened on the sun, spitting intense solar wind toward Earth

By Tereza Pultarova published

Filaments of plasma escaped from a fiery canyon that opened on the sun's surface on Sunday (April 3) and might bring more auroras to Earth later this week.

The Sun
The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, an M7.9-class, peaking at 4:16 a.m. EDT on June 25, 2015. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which watches the sun constantly, captured an image of the event.

Powerful solar flare from recent sun eruption should reach Earth Wednesday

By Chelsea Gohd published

A powerful solar flare has been traveling through space and will arrive at Earth Wednesday (Feb. 2).

The Sun
A powerful solar flare erupted from the sun on Monday (Dec. 20).

Solar storm may amp up northern lights before Christmas

By Tereza Pultarova published

A solar storm that erupted from the sun on Monday (Dec. 20) may boost northern lights displays around the north pole just ahead of Santa's trip this weekend.

The Sun
Earth is surrounded by a giant magnetic bubble called the magnetosphere, which is part of a dynamic, interconnected system that responds to solar, planetary and interstellar conditions.

41,000 years ago, auroras blazed near the equator

By Mindy Weisberger published

A geomagnetic event around 41,000 years ago sent the aurora wandering for centuries, as far south as the equator.

Planet Earth
The northern lights could heat up the next couple of nights during a strong geomagnetic storm. Here, the brightness and location of the aurora is shown as a green oval centered on Earth’s magnetic pole. The green ovals turn red when the aurora is forecasted to be more intense. 

Solar storm brings the Northern Lights to the northern US

By Stephanie Pappas published

A strong solar storm is creating aurora-friendly conditions as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa and Oregon this week.

The Sun
The northern lights are seen over Teriberka, Russia, a village with the population of about 1,000 people, located some 120 km away from the city of Murmansk on the Russian Arctic coast on Oct. 30, 2021.

Halloween northern lights from huge solar flare thrill skywatchers

By Tariq Malik published

A huge solar flare from the sun has spawned a Halloween northern lights show that has stargazers over the moon.

Planet Earth
A solar flare leaps from the sun's surface.

Massive solar flare barreling toward Earth this Halloween

By Brandon Specktor published

The category G3 storm will hit Earth on COt. 30 and 31, potentially causing satellite navigation problems and driving auroras as far south as Washington state.

The Sun
Auroras on Uranus behave in unexpected ways.

Scientists create most detailed map of Uranus' mysterious auroras

By Tereza Pultarova published

Uranus
Four false-color images showing the southern aurora on Saturn. Scientists may have detected four brand-new planets, thanks to the glow of their auroras.

'Powerful auroras' on alien planets may be sending strange radio signals toward Earth

By Brandon Specktor published

Astronomers say strange radio signals around old, inactive stars may be the shimmering auroras of four alien worlds.

Extraterrestrial Life
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