Aurora borealis
Latest about Aurora borealis
![A dune-like aurora borealis.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xNhJbDucajrk6KaDeAJ7QY-320-80.jpg)
Mystery of strange new 'dune' auroras solved, scientists say
By Elizabeth Howell published
A Finnish-led team has new insights into auroral "dunes" first reported in scientific literature a year ago.
![A 2017 STEVE event over New Zealand reveals the strange new feature that astronomers are calling "streaks."](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dSiyWPeG8QG5488EmhhLXX-320-80.jpg)
STEVE is smearing green 'streaks' across the sky, and nobody knows why
By Brandon Specktor published
Astronomers report a strange new feature of the aurora-like STEVE, which they are calling 'streaks.'
![The RMS Titanic departing Southampton on April 10, 1912, four days before the disaster that claimed more than 1,500 lives.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hsHLp3K6PDj86Qybk9yzqP-320-80.jpg)
An aurora that lit up the sky over the Titanic might explain why it sank
By Mindy Weisberger published
A geomagnetic storm that sparked spectacular aurora displays could also have contributed to the sinking of the Titanic.
![What might the "red sign" have looked like?](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8ZV2nahTyi6DF9pSJPXNg3-320-80.jpg)
1,400-year-old mystery of strange 'red sign' in Japan's sky solved
By Meghan Bartels published
A scarlet fan spread across the skies over Japan 1,400 years ago, and it's been puzzling astronomers ever since.
![This new aurora, discovered by citizen scientists and dubbed "the dunes" extends out horizontally in waves. Scientists hypothesize that they are visible representations of underlying gravity waves.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sHZaudbgXqe9NXEKaTy8Fo-320-80.jpg)
Glowing green 'dunes' in the sky mesmerized skygazers. They turned out to be a new kind of aurora.
By Yasemin Saplakoglu published
The pattern of light was unfamiliar and strangely perfect, reaching out toward the horizon like a set of celestial sand dunes.
![In 2015, astronaut Andreas Mogensen snapped this photo of a thunderstorm from the International Space Station.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ti4s4xCXvAAH2VPaxkQHRS-320-80.png)
Lightning Bolts Create Glowing Auroral 'Elves' and Brilliant Gamma-Ray Flashes
By Yasemin Saplakoglu published
Dark fluffy thunderclouds don't just fuel dramatic storms, they also produce some of the most energetic flashes of light on the planet.
![The northern aurora lights up the sky over the Gulf of Finland.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8FXSYkHRGGLNhqKaWGfNLQ-320-80.jpg)
Assyrian Tablets Contain Earliest Written Record of Aurora’s Sky Glow
By Mindy Weisberger published
![This composite image shows STEVE alongside the Milky Way over Childs Lake, Manitoba, Canada.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/igGio8o24sqNASb3qQEyVU-320-80.jpg)
It's Official: The Strange, Aurora-Like STEVE Is a Completely Unique Celestial Phenomenon
By Chelsea Gohd published
STEVE is a completely unique celestial phenomenon caused by some sort of warm, atmospheric emission, a new study finds.
![Astrophotographer Miguel Claro captured this spectacular vertical panorama or the aurora borealis from the Arctic Circle. Can you see the shape of a bird flying with a running rabbit?](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BtSxfLVjL4AnHNRmP6hQXf-320-80.jpg)
Bright Green Aurora Bird Takes Flight with a Running Rabbit Over Iceland (Photo)
By Miguel Claro published
Auroras offer a wonderful variety of colors and phantasmagoric shapes. A vertical panorama seems to reveal one of these epic moments, with the incredible shape of a bird flying with a running rabbit.
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