UCalgary researchers explain white patch near northern lights with the help of better camera technology

CALGARY, AB – A whitish, grey patch that sometimes appears in the night sky alongside the northern lights has been explained for the first time by researchers at the University of Calgary.

The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, explores the “structured continuum emission” that’s associated with the aurora borealis.

“You’d see this dynamic green aurora, you’d see some of the red aurora in the background and then, all of a sudden you’d see this structured – almost like a patch – grey-toned or white-toned emission connected to the aurora.”

Dr. Emma Spanswick, associate professor in Physics and Astronomy at the Faculty of Science

Spanswick says the patch has been referenced in scientific papers before, but it has never been explained.
Her team’s paper concludes it’s “most certainly a heat source” and says it suggests that the aurora are more complex than previously though.

Spanswick says the discovery came because an advancement in camera technology allows both amateur photographers and scientists to see true colour images of the night sky.

“Your cellphone can now take pictures of the aurora,” she says. “That has flowed to the commercial sensor market now. Those types of sensors can now be found in more commercial, more robust sensors that we would use in science.”

The team’s research came after there was a renewed interest in continuum emission with the discovery and observations of the long, glowing ribbon of purple light known as STEVE – or Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.

The paper is also significant because it includes three UCalgary students, including undergraduate Josh Houghton who was initially hired as an intern on the project.

“I was still learning things at the time. I had just started my internship and I very quickly got involved. It’s just very, very cool.”

Josh Houghton, undergraduate student in the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Science

Media inquiries

Colette Derworiz
Senior External Communications Specialist, Faculty of Science
colette.derworiz@ucalgary.ca
403-815-1556

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