They are associated with magnetic storms on the sun, which appear as sunspots.Īn Illustrated Dictionary of Aviation Copyright 2005 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.Īll rights reserved aurora borealis the aurora seen around the North Pole Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition HarperCollins Publishers 2005.A massive explosion on the sun’s surface has triggered the largest solar radiation storm since 2005 and has unleashed a torrent of charged plasma particles toward Earth, though the threat to satellites, power grids and other high-tech hardware is believed to be manageable, scientists said. These are most common in higher latitudes centering around magnetic poles. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia Copyright 2013, Columbia University Press. Much was learned about the aurora during the 195758 International Geophysical Year, when it was studied intensively by means of balloons, radar, rockets, and satellites. The auroras coincide with periods of greatest sunspot activity and with magnetic storms (disturbances of the ionosphere which interfere with long-distance radio communication). These electrically charged particles enter the atmosphere and collide with air molecules (chiefly oxygen and nitrogen), thus exciting them to luminosity near the 600-mile level, the light may be given off by electrons and protons combining to form hydrogen atoms.

The existence of two belts, sometimes considered as a single belt of varying intensity, was confirmed from information.

It is caused by high-speed electrons and protons from the sun, which are trapped in the Van Allen radiation belts Van Allen radiation belts, belts of radiation outside the earths atmosphere, extending from c.400 to c.40,000 mi (c.650c.65,000 km) above the earth. The aurora occurs between 35 mi and 600 mi (56 km970 km) above the earth. The aurora is seen in a variety of forms, e.g., as patches of light, in the form of streamers, arcs, banks, rays, or resembling hanging draperies. in times of extreme activity, it may be seen in parts of the S United States.Īmong the most magnificent of natural phenomena, auroral displays appear in shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet and are usually brightest in their most northern latitudes. The vernal equinox, also known as the first point of Aries, is the point at which the sun appears to cross the celestial equator from south to north.Ĭlick the link for more information.

It is often visible in Canada and the N United States and is seen most frequently at the time of the equinoxes equinox, either of two points on the celestial sphere where the ecliptic and the celestial equator intersect.

Aurora borealis 2005 torrent