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WHY DO AURORAS LOVE SEPTEMBER?

NOAA - 09/13/2022

 

There was no geomagnetic storm on Sept. 11th. So what caused this? "Dancing auroras filled the sky," reports Markus Varik of Tromsø, Norway. "It was wonderful."

 

Researchers call it the "Russell-McPherron effect." During the weeks around equinoxes, cracks form in Earth's magnetic field. Even a slight gust of solar wind can slip through to spark a light show--no geomagnetic storm required.

Because of this effect, September-October and March-April are the best times of year to catch auroras. The northern autumnal equinox is only 10 days away--so stay tuned.

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