In March 2002 physicistDr David Knudsennoticed something extraordinary while observe dawn in northern Canada . Although he made a note of it , Knudsen did n’t take his find any further at the sentence . luckily , however , he was part of a squad film the northern lights . Almost two decades after the video he made has been canvas intensively and the previously unrecorded auroral phenomenon made the topic of a scientific newspaper . physicist still do n’t understand what caused what Knudsen saw , or how often it occur , but they definitely want to discover out .
The opposite lights have in all likelihood fascinated humans since we migrate far enough from the equator to see them . The cathartic that triggers them in the upper atmosphere and their connection to outbursts from the Sun have been realize , at least roughly , for 60 geezerhood . Nevertheless , we ’re still finding wad of raw aspects and puzzle aspects , such as the narrow-minded cherry-red - pink band dubbedSteve .
Knundsen , of the University of Calgary , was in Churchill , where theauroras ' causewas first found , shoot the sky with a television camera that could register the faint diffuse light often dwarf by more attention - grabbing “ discrete auroras ” . It was just as well he did . Despite clear skies and a location reasonably close to theEarth ’s North Geomagnetic PoleKnundsen and colleague could n’t see much auroral activity with their defenseless eyes .
The more sore camera , however , picked up a diffuse aurora , its part disappear and returned in an unfamiliar elbow room . “ Pulsating ‘ smutty out ’ diffuse glow , which then fills in over several seconds , ” Knundsen write in his notes .
In 2010Dr Allison Jaynesof the University of Iowa learned about the transcription at a scientific meeting . Although Jaynes mentioned it in her thesis on diffuse aurora she did n’t research it further .
However , having become an adjunct professor she think this exceptional event required further study and gave a transcript of the video recording to fine-tune studentRiley Troyer . “ I knew there was something there . I acknowledge it was different and unequalled , ” Jaynes say in astatement .
Troyer dug deeply , and his depth psychology has now been published in theJournal of Geophysical Research Space Physics . Troyer grew up in Alaska andcallsauroras ; “ part of my heritage , ” so was delighted at the opportunity to canvas one doing something never described before .
Knudsen ’s video lasts for two hours , during which time Troyer counted 22 “ eraser event ” . Today Knudsendescribeswhat he saw this way ; “ There was a cakehole in the diffuse aurora . And then that yap would fill back in after a half - minute or so . I had never seen something like that before . ” So - call disastrous morning , where holes appear in diffuse auroras , are known , and discrete auroras sometimes pulsate , but no one has report a combining of the two . Anevent in 2017marks the only possible repeat , and even that had significant conflict .
Troyer and carbon monoxide - writer can not excuse what induce these erasure events . By set them into the scientific lit they may put first light witness on the lookout for a repeat , hopefully appropriate us to learn more . Meanwhile , Troyer has take a frame - by - systema skeletale psychoanalysis of the precious picture , including detailed measurements of the time each eraser result took to make part of the dayspring disappear , and then for the “ hole ” to reelect to full luminance .
Knudsen ’s telecasting was taken as the twenty-third solar cycle was passing its extremum . Thefollowing cyclewas much less fighting , so morning of all types have been less abundant since , and diffuse auroras particularly so . However , the next few years should see these lighter happen more often , increasing the chances someone , whether amateur or professional , will witness an erasure event . If so , Jaynes told IFLScience it is potential a camera phone would be sufficient to record an erasure upshot . If this was sent to her team it might help explain the atmospherical dynamics responsible for .
