1: Introduction: An Overview of Auroras

  • The northern lights, or aurora borealis, recently dazzled the night sky at Hanle village in Ladakh.
  • Auroras are natural light displays that transpire as vibrant, swirling curtains primarily near the poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. Their colourful display can range from blue, red, yellow, green, to orange.
  • These light spectacles persist all year round, but occasionally expand to lower latitudes.
  • In the southern hemisphere, these occurrences are known as the aurora australis.

2: The Science Behind These Spectacles: Why Do Auroras Occur?

  • The phenomenon of auroras is due to activity on the Sun's surface.
  • The Sun consistently releases a stream of charged particles, primarily electrons and protons, along with magnetic fields, known as the solar
  • Earth's magnetic field acts as a shield against the solar wind, deflecting it away.
  • Nonetheless, some of the charged particles from the solar wind are captured by Earth's magnetic field and taken down to the poles into the upper atmosphere. This interaction with different gases results in small flashes that light up the night sky.
  • The interaction between solar wind particles and oxygen yields a green light whereas interaction with nitrogen generates shades of blue and
  • When the solar wind is incredibly potent due to increased activity on the Sun's surface causing solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), auroras can expand to mid-latitudes.

3: Beyond the Typical Auroras: The Appearance of STEVE

  • STEVE is an atypical aurora-like spectacle appearing as a unique, purple-coloured arc with a moving green picket-fence structure. This phenomenon can be viewed from lower latitudes than typical auroras.

4: The Scenario of a Geomagnetic Storm

  • Geomagnetic storms are major disturbances of Earth's magnetosphere occurring when solar wind's energy is efficiently released into the space environment surrounding Earth.
  • These violent storms are infrequent, transpiring roughly every few decades.
  • The previous potent geomagnetic storm, resulting from solar charged particles hitting Earth with similar force and intensity, occurred in 2003.

5: Geographic and Historic Trivia of Auroras

  • Ladakh, where the recent display of aurora borealis took place, is located in the northern region of India.
  • The terms 'aurora borealis' and 'aurora australis' were coined by the astronomer Galileo Galilei in the 17th century, with 'borealis' meaning 'north' in Latin, and 'australis' meaning 'south'.
  • Viewing auroras is a popular bucket-list experience for travellers, with hotspots including Norway and Canada for aurora borealis, and Australia and New Zealand for the aurora