{"id":449,"date":"2017-03-14T19:18:52","date_gmt":"2017-03-14T19:18:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurorasaurudev.wpengine.com\/?p=449"},"modified":"2023-12-26T21:53:31","modified_gmt":"2023-12-26T21:53:31","slug":"7-things-to-know-about-steve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.aurorasaurus.org\/?p=449","title":{"rendered":"7 Things to Know about “STEVE”"},"content":{"rendered":"
For media inquiries, contact Media Relations at\u00a0aurorasaurus.info@gmail.com<\/div>\n

Update 4\/25\/17 (by Liz MacDonald):<\/p>\n

Steve has gone viral! Check out the articles here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Aurorasaurus team has been working on this topic along with the University of Calgary, Alberta Aurora Chasers, and others. We are writing a paper on this, including the key role citizen scientists have played in this new discovery.<\/div>\n

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How can you help right now?<\/b><\/div>\n
Past observations of STEVE can be added to our database to document the frequency of STEVE appearances. Also Aurorasaurus can be used in real-time to see who’s seeing STEVE on a map. Multiple observations at the same time can help define the altitude of STEVE.<\/div>\n
Report #STEVE in the notes tab when you submit observations.<\/div>\n

—<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a new dancing light display in the sky, and it\u2019s not the usual aurora. We need your help to learn more!<\/span><\/p>\n

Giving off a glow in mostly purple and green colors, the phenomenon was observed by members of a Facebook group called the \u201cAlberta Aurora Chasers\u201d who named the display \u201cSteve.\u201d Why Steve? Well, this is a reference to the popular children\u2019s movie <\/span>Over the Hedge<\/span><\/i><\/a> where one of the characters isn\u2019t sure what he is looking at and randomly names it Steve. <\/span>Steve was formerly called by aurora chasers and photographers a \u201cproton arc\u201d (also known as a proton aurora). Proton aurora, or aurora caused by the raining down of protons from the magnetosphere is broad, diffuse, and dim visually unlike the structure of Steve that is narrow and has motion. So we know it is not a proton arc although we do not yet fully know what it is. <\/span><\/p>\n