Astronomy Picture of the Day - A Glowing STEVE and the Milky Way

APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 17 Nov, 2020 | Image Credit: NASA, Krista Trinder

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: What's creating these long glowing streaks in the sky? No one is sure. Known as Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancements (STEVEs), these luminous light-purple sky ribbons may resemble regular auroras, but recent research reveals significant differences. A STEVE's great length and unusual colors, when measured precisely, indicate that it may be related to a subauroral ion drift (SAID), a supersonic river of hot atmospheric ions thought previously to be invisible. Some STEVEs are now also thought to be accompanied by green picket fence structures, a series of sky slats that can appear outside of the main auroral oval that does not involve much glowing nitrogen. The featured wide-angle composite image shows a STEVE in a dark sky above Childs Lake, Manitoba, Canada in 2017, crossing in front of the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy.

[minnesota_bound]

Looks like a starship was in a battle and crashed on earth.
Gov’t recovered what was left.
This would explain teflon and velcro.

[SunkenCiv]

[snip] Known as Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancements (STEVEs), these luminous light-purple sky ribbons may resemble regular auroras, but recent research reveals significant differences. A STEVE's great length and unusual colors, when measured precisely, indicate that it may be related to a subauroral ion drift (SAID), a supersonic river of hot atmospheric ions thought previously to be invisible. Some STEVEs are now also thought to be accompanied by green picket fence structures, a series of sky slats that can appear outside of the main auroral oval that does not involve much glowing nitrogen. [/snip]

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[Nateman]

Monty Python - Mosquito Hunters

[MtnClimber]

You don’t need to see it. It is a rule. You can’t see gravity either.

[Diana in Wisconsin]