spiritstone
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2014
Posts: 2,061
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Post by spiritstone on Apr 25, 2017 19:40:45 GMT -5
Interesting, something different to keep an eye out for. A group of aurora enthusiasts have found a new type of light in the night sky and named it Steve. Eric Donovan from the University of Calgary in Canada spotted the feature in photos shared on a Facebook group. He did not recognise it as a catalogued phenomenon and although the group were calling it a proton arc, he knew proton auroras were not visible. Testing showed it appeared to be a hot stream of fast-flowing gas in the higher reaches of the atmosphere. The European Space Agency (ESA) sent electric field instruments to measure it 300km (190 miles) above the surface of the Earth and found the temperature of the air was 3,000C (5,400F) hotter inside the gas stream than outside it. Inside, the 25km-wide ribbon of gas was flowing at 6 km/s (13,000mph), 600 times faster than the air on either side. Relatively little else is known about the big purple light as yet but it appears it is not an aurora as it does not stem from the interaction of solar particles with the Earth's magnetic field. There are reports that the group called it Steve in homage to a 2006 children's film, Over the Hedge, where the characters give the name to a creature they have not seen before. Roger Haagmans of the ESA said: "It is amazing how a beautiful natural phenomenon, seen by observant citizens, can trigger scientists' curiosity. "It turns out that Steve is actually remarkably common, but we hadn't noticed it before. Plus more. Wildflower 'super bloom' visible from space An explosion of wildflowers has covered the deserts of California, surpassing previous blooms in its enormous scale. Satellite imaging startup Planet Labs has captured shots of the bright spectacle from space. www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39671753
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,688
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 26, 2017 15:02:28 GMT -5
Now that is cool!!!!!
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Post by morerockspleaz on Apr 26, 2017 15:57:23 GMT -5
I love to star gaze, that would have kept me entranced for hours. Awesome
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Mark K
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2012
Posts: 2,617
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Post by Mark K on Apr 26, 2017 21:07:38 GMT -5
I thought that was the nexis.
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