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EI2GYB > ASTRO 15.11.21 11:21z 79 Lines 4001 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: Strong aurorae dazzle astronauts on space station
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Sent: 211115/1118Z @:EI2GYB.DGL.IRL.EURO #:17579 BPQ6.0.22
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Strong aurorae dazzle astronauts on space station
A recent strong outburst from our Sun sent particles racing across the solar
system, slamming into Earth's atmosphere to create a brilliant aurora that took
astronauts' breath away.
By Alison Klesman | Published: Friday, November 12, 2021
In late October, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured an intense flare
erupting from the Sun. A few days later, the crew of the International Space
Station (ISS) saw what astronaut Thomas Pesquet called "the strongest auroras
of the entire mission." Pictured here is a shot Pesquet took of the light show
they saw over North America, which included "amazing spikes higher than our
orbit . [and] rapid waves and pulses all over."
Translated from French, Pesquet's description also reads: "Nature decided to
offer us a final bouquet for our departure: the most intense aurora borealis of
the whole mission. It drew a veritable crown over the north of America, with
peaks that seemed to exceed our altitude, and rapid pulsations which drew
blue-green waves, it looked like breathing! We flew through, our noses glued to
the windows."
What causes the aurora?
The striking show occurred because flares such as the one recently emitted from
the Sun release waves of charged particles that scatter throughout the solar
system. When those particles are captured by Earth's - or any planet's -
magnetic field, they smack into atoms in the atmosphere, causing them to heat
up and glow. The result is ethereal dancing lights high above the ground:
aurorae. Their pattern and movements trace out the magnetic field, while the
different colors are produced by various elements in the atmosphere. On Earth,
the lights typically stretch from 80 miles (130 kilometers) above the surface
at their lowest to hundreds or even thousands of miles high.
October's solar flare was an X1-class event. X-class flares are the strongest,
with those exceeding X10 (which are 10 times stronger than an X1 flare)
considered the most extreme. Thanks to its strength, the northern lights put on
a fantastic show for many living at high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere,
as well as those in many northern U.S. states.
Aurorae are only one type of space weather, which can affect everything from
the normal function of orbiting satellites to astronaut health and safety.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this
particular flare even caused a strong radio blackout, largely affecting South
America, on October 28.
Understanding space weather, including the aurorae and other effects they
produce, can help us to better understand our Sun, which entered its most
recent solar cycle, cycle 25, just over a year ago. Determining when outbursts
and storms will occur, as well as what their effects might be, can also help
space agencies protect equipment and people outside Earth's blanketing
atmosphere, whether they are orbiting the planet or traveling through the solar
system.
Plus, the aurorae they produce are just plain pretty, and more than worthy of
capturing on film, whether you're in space or with your feet firmly on the
ground.
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