An astrophotographer recently captured a super rare weather phenomenon on a trip to Iceland, showcasing rippling green aurora curls dancing in the night sky above the Kerid Crater in the south of Iceland. The mesmerizing display, lasting several minutes, has intrigued experts and enthusiasts alike.
In a captivating Instagram post, astrophotographer Jeff Dai shared a video of the extraordinary event, shedding light on the phenomenon believed to be caused by vibrations in the Earth’s magnetic field. This unique occurrence is triggered by a gust of radiation from the sun, known as solar wind, colliding with our planet’s protective shield.
Describing the scene, Dai explained in the caption that the aurora curls are fine structures in the poleward boundary of multiple arcs formed by longitudinal-arranged field-aligned current pairs. He added that the formation of these curl-like structures may be connected with flow shear driven by ultra-low frequency waves, likening them to the Auroral Undulations Triggered by Kelvin-Helmholtz Waves.
The video, shared a few days ago, has garnered significant attention, accumulating hundreds of likes and comments. Dai highlighted that the rare view was captured during a brief window when the aurora appeared in the zenith, emphasizing the unique timing of the observation.
While aurora curls are typically invisible and require specialized scientific equipment for detection, under certain conditions, they can become visible to the naked eye. The exact cause of this phenomenon remains unclear, with some experts suggesting that forces driven by extremely low-frequency waves may play a role, while others attribute it to solar particles interacting with large waves in Earth’s magnetic field.
Auroras, created when highly energetic particles from the Sun excite molecules of gas in Earth’s atmosphere, have become a more common occurrence recently due to the Sun’s heightened activity. As the Sun approaches the explosive peak in its roughly 11-year solar activity cycle, known as solar maximum, aurora displays are expected to continue captivating skywatchers around the world.
Read Now:Paytm Share Price Rises 5% After Three-Day Slide; CEO Reassures Employees Amid RBI Restrictions
