{"id":285226,"date":"2023-10-26T22:05:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T20:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=285226"},"modified":"2023-10-26T22:05:39","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T20:05:39","slug":"the-mystery-of-orange-auroras-updated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=285226","title":{"rendered":"The Mystery of Orange Auroras\u00a0(Updated)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Auroras get their colors from atoms and molecules in Earth’s atmosphere. During geomagnetic storms, energetic particles rain down from space, striking the air and causing it to glow. Red, green, purple and even pink are common signs of excited oxygen and nitrogen. The problem is,\u00a0there’s nothing in the air capable of making bright orange.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From Spaceweather.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By DR.TONY PHILLIPS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oct. 23, 2023:<\/strong>\u00a0(Spaceweather.com<\/a>) A recent display of auroras over Canada has experts scratching their heads. The mystery? They were orange:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was a first for me,\u201d says Harlan Thomas, who photographed the display over Sibbald Pond west of Calgary, Alberta, on Oct. 19th. \u201cThe orange was sublime, just incredible. The pillars in the center stayed there glowing for more than 20 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Auroras aren\u2019t supposed to be orange. Consider the following: Auroras get their colors from atoms and molecules in Earth\u2019s atmosphere. During geomagnetic storms, energetic particles rain down from space, striking the air and causing it to glow. Red, green, purple and even pink are common signs of excited oxygen and nitrogen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is, there\u2019s nothing in the air capable of making bright orange. Theoretically, nitrogen and oxygen (N2, N2+, and O2+) can produce\u00a0emissions<\/a>\u00a0at orange wavelengths. However, these emissions are very weak compared to other colors produced by the same molecules. Any orange should be overwhelmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Aurora colors produced by atoms and molecules in Earth\u2019s atmosphere. [more<\/a>]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The answer may be hiding in plain sight. Take another look<\/a> at Thomas\u2019s photo. Bright red auroras appear on top, overlapping green auroras lower down. Red and green mixing together may have produced the yellow-orange glow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, aurora physicist Kjellmar Oksavik of the University of Bergen in Norway believes that\u2019s the correct explanation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRed auroras are formed by low-energy electrons colliding with atomic oxygen at high altitudes (200-400 km). Here, oxygen atoms are excited into a quantum state called O(1D), where they can emit a red photon at 630.0 nanometers,\u201d Oksavik says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGreen auroras are formed by higher-energy electrons penetrating deeper and colliding with atomic oxygen at lower altitudes (100-150 km),\u201d he continues. \u201cHere, oxygen atoms are excited into a state called O(1S), where they emit a green photon at 557.7 nanometers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn between, there can be a mixing of the two processes, which fools the camera and eye to believe that it is orange. In reality, it is both red and green at the same time,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
More examples of orange recorded during the Halloween Storms of 2003. Credit: Jay Edwards [more<\/a>]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Oksavik points out one more thing in Harlan Thomas\u2019s photo: \u201cIt beautifully reveals the alignment of Earth\u2019s magnetic field. The bright pillar in the center<\/a> is a textbook example of a very tall auroral ray. These are aligned along the magnetic field and caused by a broad energy spectrum of electrons [raining down from space]. Slower electrons collide high up (red light), while more energetic electrons travel further down into a much denser atmosphere (green light).\u201d The overlap naturally produces a yellow-orange glow\u2013no mystery molecule required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you<\/em> photographed an orange aurora? Submit your pictures here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

more orange:<\/strong> from Dave Parkhurst<\/a> of Knik Valley, Alaska; from Louis Greene<\/a> in Denali National Park, AK; from Doug McAvoy<\/a> of Commanda, Ontario, Canada; from Raymond Maher<\/a> of Maurice River Township, New Jersey; from Serian Kallweit<\/a> of Baksj\u00f6bodarna, Sweden;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Auroras get their colors from atoms and molecules in Earth’s atmosphere. During geomagnetic storms, energetic particles rain down from space, striking the air and causing it to glow. Red, green, purple and even pink are common signs of excited oxygen and nitrogen. The problem is,\u00a0there’s nothing in the air capable of making bright orange. From […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":285229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Auroras get their colors from atoms and molecules in Earth's atmosphere. During geomagnetic storms, energetic particles rain down from space, striking the air and causing it to glow. Red, green, purple and even pink are common signs of excited oxygen and ","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-285226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/0Harlan-Thomas-Sibbald-Pond-Aurora-20231019-1_1697720489-1.jpg?fit=3060%2C4399&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1ccq","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":330738,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=330738","url_meta":{"origin":285226,"position":0},"title":"Auroras anyone? 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