Northern Lights hunters spot rare phenomenon known as Steve in sky over the North East
With a chance of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights in the UK, many people headed outside in the hope of seeing a beautiful display and spotted another rare phenomenon
by Bradley Jolly, Nicole Goodwin · ChronicleLiveAurora borealis hunters may have spotted a rare purple stripe in the sky on Monday which wasn't the Northern Lights.
With a chance of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights in the UK, many people headed outside in the hope of seeing a beautiful display. But while shades of purple can often be present in photos of the aurora borealis, some people were lucky enough to capture another rare phenomenon, known as Steve.
Steve appears during some Northern Lights displays but it is fundamentally different to the aurora borealis, The Mirror reports. Steve, which stands for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, is unpredictable and only lasts for between 20 minutes and one hour.
Research continues into the phenomenon, which appears in ribbon formations rather than aurora borealis's ovals. Scientists suggests it comprises a fast-moving stream of extremely hot particles called a sub-auroral ion drift.
It dazzled Brits on Monday night with stunning images taken across the North East, parts of Scotland, Norfolk and even as far south as the Home Counties. Green, pink and purple hues lit up the sky.
Steve was last seen in the UK in November last year. But there may be further opportunities to catch a glimpse of Steve in the near future during strong aurora storms.
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