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Forbes
2 days ago
- Climate
- Forbes
Why Americans Are Now In The Best Place To See The Northern Lights
Parts of the U.S. and Canada are currently the best places to see the Northern Lights, but the approaching solstice and shrinking darkness windows means that's not going to last long. Space weather forecasters predicted only a mild G1 geomagnetic storm this week — but what unfolded was far more dramatic. Geomagnetic storms — which cause aurora on Earth — are rated from G1 to G5. What actually happened late on May 28 was rated G3, which saw the aurora viewline stretch into 17 U.S. states. Aurora was even seen in Italy. This particular storm happened because a co-rotating interaction region — a turbulent gap between fast and slow-moving solar wind streams — struck Earth's atmosphere, according to Something similar happened on May 17 when a coronal mass ejection — a clump of super-charged particles hurled into the solar system in the wake of a solar flare — struck Earth's atmosphere instead of, as was forecast, missing the planet. Again, aurora were triggered unexpectedly. The Northern Lights are caused by the solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the sun that interacts with Earth's magnetic field. As charged particles strike Earth's magnetic field, they accelerate down its magnetic field lines at the north and south poles, exciting particles in the atmosphere to create ovals of green and red. Aurora is usually seen in polar regions near 70° latitude, but during strong geomagnetic storms, the auroral oval can expand, with displays reaching as far as 40 degrees — or even lower in rare cases. The root cause for aurora being seen more southerly in North America is, of course, the sun's solar maximum period, which was declared by NOAA and NASA in October 2024. However, there's a delicate balance of latitude and time of year when it comes to the visibility of aurora. To understand, consider this: the G5 geomagnetic storm on May 10-11, 2024 — the most intense since 2004 and possibly for hundreds of years — was seen across North America, as far south as Florida. But those at 70 degrees north, where the aurora oval typically sits over almost permanently, saw nothing. In the Northern Hemisphere, North America and Europe had the very best views of that display. It's happening again. But why? The aurora season in the Northern Hemisphere is typically said to be between September and March, essentially between the equinoxes when there are more hours of darkness than daylight. That's not the case now, of course, with the farther you travel north, the fewer hours of darkness. The reason? It doesn't truly get dark in May across the auroral zone. For example, in Anchorage, Alaska, at 61 degrees north, sunset is currently at 11:15 p.m., and there is no astronomical darkness. Along the U.S.-Canada border, true darkness — known as astronomical night — currently lasts from about 11:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., offering a narrow window for aurora viewing. There's a cut-off line in North America that's gradually rising northwards as we approach the solstice on June 21, with astronomical darkness becoming even shorter by the end of June. Meanwhile, the aurora viewline, as forecast by NOAA, drifts farther south when a geomagnetic storm is predicted. That makes the northern U.S. states ideal for aurora viewing right now. And if a geomagnetic storm strikes, the lights could stretch even farther south — where longer nights make sightings more likely. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Mysterious white streak outshines aurora, and it didn't come from space
The northern lights appeared in the sky over the United States on May 17, and onlookers were stunned when a bright white light outshone the purple and pink glow of the aurora. The mysterious light was reported by people across the western U.S. from New Mexico to Idaho. Turns out, it had Earthly origins. About an hour before the mysterious white streak appeared, China launched a rocket to deliver six satellites into space. The light is believed to have been from a rocket on the engine, or the spent rocket releasing leftover fuel before burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The rocket-created light show reminded some stargazers of STEVE, an aurora-like light in the sky which shines as a narrow ribbon of color, as opposed to the aurora borealis which is usually a colorful glow over a broad area of the sky. Mike Lewinski captured a time-lapse of the eerie light when it appeared over Crestone, Colorado, and was stunned by the sight. "The aurora was rippling low on the northern horizon when suddenly a bright streak of light, reminiscent of a rocket re-entry, appeared high in the sky and flowed down to the horizon," Lewinski told The time-lapse also captured several airplanes and dozens of satellites flying overhead.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Did the Chinese Government ruin your astrophotography?
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. China recently launched the Zhuque-2E rocket, deploying 6 satellites into low-Earth orbit and dumping experimental fuel into space, creating a massive luminous streak visible across at least 7 US states. If you were one of the astrophotographers who ventured out last Saturday, May 17, you might have witnessed this unexpected light show in the sky around 01:24 EST. It may have ruined your long-awaited astrophotography shots of the beautiful night sky, as the bright streak overshadowed the stars. Saying this, you might instead have found yourself captivated by this unexpected happening – like photographer Mike Lewinski, who captured the scene and also created a time-lapse video of the light streak from Crestone, Colorado. You can discover this footage on his Flickr account or website. The bright streak lasted for about ten minutes and, according to it was visible in Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Missouri, Nebraska, Washington and New Mexico. This giant luminous streak was caused by the Zhuque-2E single-use orbital launch rocket, created by Chinese company LandSpace, which released a series of satellites into orbit and dumped a new type of fuel into space. Speculation surrounds the reason for this massive light streak. Representatives from suggested it might have been a de-orbit burn or a circularization burn for the deploying satellites. An astronomer at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said on X, 'Yes, that's it. Fuel dump from the upper stage, at about 250 km altitude'. This isn't the first time unnatural luminous objects have appeared in the night sky. If you're an astrophotographer, you may already be aware of this; if not, here's some context: the number of satellites is on the rise. According to the European Space Agency, in 2022 some 6,800 satellites were active. In May 2025 that number nearly doubled, with over 11,500 satellites orbiting our planet. In 2019, SpaceX deployed 60 Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. Shortly after, observers witnessed a linear string of light across the sky. It's not just American astrophotographers who have seen these unnatural light appearances; just this May, a luminous vortex was spotted in the UK night sky. I spoke with award-winning astrophotographer Josh Dury to gain further insights and discuss concerns around satellites and fuel dumps in space. "Above the United Kingdom on March 25 2025, a somewhat alien-esque object was sighted in the night sky. If anything, the definition of what is 'alien' goes far and few between. ABOVE: See the light pollution from Starlink satellites "This was the presence of a Starlink satellite launch; ejecting a new type of fuel, used to power these missions to launch contributing satellites into a 'mega constellation' in low Earth orbit. "Methalox, liquid oxygen and methane, is the fuel used to launch these satellites up into orbit, freezing as ice crystals high up in the Earth's atmosphere, which reflect sunlight and are visible at night. "The situation now is, these missions are powered to launch tens of thousands of satellites to provide a solution to global internet. The double-edged sword is… they are now outnumbering the amount of visible stars in each hemisphere. "An alarming statistic that not only affects professional astronomical observations, but also astrophotography and our connection with the natural world. "The new concept is how these fuel dumps are effectively degrading our atmosphere and contributing to pollution in our upper atmosphere and thus climate change. Already very worrying especially with evidence for future government decisions to dim sunlight." You can learn more about astrophotography and discover Josh's work on his website and in his new book: 52 Assignments: Night Photography, published by Ammonite Press. Capturing stunning images of the night sky and space starts with having the right gear. Check out our guides to the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography. You might also enjoy our feature on Josh Dury, a pro landscape and astrophotographer, who shared why he considers the Sony A7S III a true "powerhouse" for astrophotography and more insider night sky tips.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Giant 'white streak' appears over multiple US states as Chinese rocket dumps experimental fuel in space
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A massive streak of white, aurora-like light recently appeared in the night sky above several U.S. states after a Chinese rocket released half a dozen satellites into orbit. The light show was triggered when the rocket dumped a new type of fuel into space before reentering the atmosphere, experts say. The luminous streak appeared at around 1:24 a.m. ET on Saturday (May 17), hanging in the air for around 10 minutes before eventually fading away. It was photographed in at least seven states — Colorado, Idaho, Utah, Missouri, Nebraska, Washington and New Mexico — but may have been visible even further afield, according to Photographer Mike Lewinski snapped stunning shots of the streak from Crestone, Colorado (see above) and also managed to capture timelapse footage of the entire event. Meanwhile, photographer Jay Shaffer took a striking long-exposure photo of the streak in Taos County, New Mexico (see below). In some places, the streak appeared alongside auroras that emerged during a G2-class geomagnetic storm, which was triggered earlier in the night when a cloud of charged particles ejected by the sun, known as a coronal mass ejection, slammed into Earth's magnetic field. As a result, many people who witnessed the streak assumed it was the aurora-like phenomenon known as STEVE, which creates long colored ribbons of light in the night sky. However, what people actually saw was the aftermath of one of China's Zhuque-2E rockets, which launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at around 12:12 a.m. ET, according to Space News. The rocket released six satellites, each carrying various scientific instruments, before it burned up in Earth's upper atmosphere upon reentry. Related: 10 bizarre phenomena that lit up the sky (and their scientific explanations) There was initially some confusion about exactly how the rocket created the stunning light show. "The white streak may have been a de-orbit burn, or perhaps a circularization burn for the deploying satellites," representatives wrote. Others thought it may have been light from the rocket's second stage burning up in our skies, while some people suggested that it may have been an "ionospheric hole," created when rocket fuel reacts with chemicals in the upper atmosphere, triggering streaking aurora-like lights. However, Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who tracks satellite launches and reentries, later revealed on the social platform X that it was caused by a "fuel dump" at an altitude of around 155 miles (250 kilometers) before the rocket de-orbited. The ejected fuel, which trailed behind the rocket, froze into a ribbon of tiny frozen crystals that then reflected sunlight toward Earth's surface, making it shine in the night sky. Similar light shows often occur when SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets dump their fuel before re-entering the atmosphere. In these cases, the spacecraft is normally spinning as it dumps the fuel, creating luminous whirlpools of light. Recent examples of these structures, nicknamed SpaceX spirals, include a luminous vortex spotted above the U.K. in March, a "horned" spiral that appeared over mainland Europe in May 2024 and a distant swirl visible from Hawaii in January 2023, among others. The Zhuque-2E rocket is a single-use orbital launch vehicle created by Chinese company LandSpace. It stands at around 160 feet (50 meters) tall and can launch up to 13,200 pounds (6,000 kilograms) of payloads into low-Earth orbit (LEO) — the region of space up to 1,200 miles (2,000 km) above Earth's surface, where the majority of Earth-orbiting satellites operate. Unlike most rockets, which use hydrogen or kerosene-based fuels, Zhuque-2E uses a special hybrid of liquid oxygen and liquid methane, known as "methalox." RELATED STORIES —Chinese scientists reveal plans for near-invisible stealth missiles that could 'redefine modern warfare' —China's secretive new 'Thousands Sails' satellites are an astronomer's nightmare, 1st observations reveal —Chinese astronauts make rocket fuel and oxygen in space using 1st-of-its-kind 'artificial photosynthesis' In July 2023, the rocket's predecessor, Zhuque-2, became the first methane-fueled rocket to reach LEO, beating the likes of SpaceX, which also uses methalox fuels in its gigantic Starship rocket but is yet to successfully get the spacecraft into a full orbital flight. China has now successfully launched four methane-powered rockets into space. Methane is a desirable fuel source for rockets because it is easier to store and burns cleaner than hydrogen or kerosene. It can also potentially be produced on other planets, such as Mars, which makes it ideal for solar system exploration.
Economic Times
21-05-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
What is the unusual light seen over US skies? Here's all the details
Representative Image Synopsis A bright white streak appeared in the night sky over parts of the US after a Chinese rocket released satellites and dumped fuel before reentry. The event involved frozen fuel crystals reflecting sunlight. People across several US states saw a white, aurora-like streak in the sky. The light came from a Chinese rocket that released fuel before reentering Earth's atmosphere. Experts confirmed it was a controlled release related to a satellite launch. ADVERTISEMENT On Saturday, May 17, at 1:24 a.m. ET, a bright streak appeared in the night sky. The light lasted for around 10 minutes before fading. It was seen across several states including Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Missouri, Nebraska, Washington and New Mexico, a report said. Photos of the event spread across social media and science platforms. Also Read: Grey's Anatomy Season 21: When will it stream on Netflix? Here's streaming release date in US and where to watch Season 21 now The light came from the Zhuque-2E rocket. This rocket launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 12:12 a.m. ET, as per Space News. It carried six satellites with scientific tools into low-Earth orbit. After release, the rocket reentered Earth's atmosphere and burned McDowell, an expert who tracks space activity, explained the light. He said the rocket dumped fuel at about 155 miles above Earth. The fuel froze into tiny crystals in space. These crystals reflected sunlight back to Earth, creating a visible streak in the night sky. Also Read: Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2: Release date, episode schedule and where to watch in US and UK ADVERTISEMENT The Zhuque-2E is a single-use rocket made by the Chinese company LandSpace. It is 160 feet tall and can carry 13,200 pounds into low-Earth orbit. Most rockets use hydrogen or kerosene-based fuel. But this rocket used a mix of liquid oxygen and liquid methane, also called methalox. This type of fuel burns cleaner than others. ADVERTISEMENT What caused the white streak in the sky? The streak came from frozen fuel dumped by a Chinese rocket. The fuel crystals reflected sunlight, making the streak visible over parts of the US. What is special about the Zhuque-2E rocket? It uses a mix of liquid oxygen and methane fuel. This combination is different from traditional rocket fuels like hydrogen or kerosene. ADVERTISEMENT (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates. NEXT STORY
