Pennsylvania, Aug 16: During a recent intense geomagnetic storm, sky watcher Tony Bendele captured a rare and intriguing phenomenon: orange auroras. This color is unusual for auroras, which typically display green, pink, and red hues. Bendele noted, “At first, I thought something was wrong, so I checked this image numerous times. The color orange is really there.”
Auroras, known as the northern and southern lights, are caused by interactions between solar particles and Earth’s atmospheric gases. Typically, green auroras result from excited oxygen atoms, while pink auroras are linked to nitrogen. The appearance of orange, however, is puzzling since no atmospheric element is known to produce bright orange auroras.
The observed orange hue might be explained by the overlap of red and green auroras. Red auroras occur at higher altitudes and green auroras at lower ones. During extreme geomagnetic storms, like the one on August 12, the boundary between these colors can blur between 150 km to 200 km above the Earth’s surface, potentially creating a yellow-orange glow.
The geomagnetic storm, triggered by powerful solar eruptions known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), caused charged particles to collide with Earth’s magnetic field. This interaction excites atmospheric molecules, producing auroras. The increase in solar activity underscores the complex relationship between solar events and Earth’s atmospheric phenomena.
This rare auroral display highlights the dynamic nature of space weather and its effects on our planet. Scientists are continuing to study these events to deepen their understanding of the interactions between solar particles and Earth’s magnetic field.