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."

 

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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.

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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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