An aurora borealis was visible on Friday in southern Florida, and as testimony, the incredible images of this beautiful phenomenon that are circulating on social networks today remain.
National Weather Service Miami meteorologist Luke Culver posted X-ray photos of the aurora taken along US Highway 27; and stated that it is something “Incredible!” that “I never would have thought I would see it…the aurora in South Florida!!!”
In another publication he highlighted that at one point on his route he could see a diffuse red glow.
He explained that this phenomenon – “polar aurora”, almost exclusive to the polar areas of the earth (aurora borealis at the north pole and aurora australis at the south pole) – “is still incredible so far south”, as it was even seen from some areas of Cuba.
A traveler identified on Facebook as Chase Nawrocki also documented an amazing view from a flight scheduled to arrive in Tampa.
“Photos from last night’s flight out of Tampa! The south has a great light show! Viewing from 35,000 feet really makes it much more visible with the lack of light pollution and a clear view of the horizon!” he said on Facebook! .
Polar auroras are light effects that are generated in the upper layers of the atmosphere and are in the form of arcs, bands or curtains, formed by the interaction of the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field.
Scientist Melanie Windridge has explained that the sun “emits a constant flow of charged particles (cosmic radiation) in all directions, known as “the solar wind”, which sweeps through space at one and a half million kilometers per hour.”
If those particles hit the Earth, they would expose us to harmful radiation and the atmosphere would disappear; but this is prevented by the planet’s magnetic field, which catapults these particles to the back of the Earth through invisible lines that start from the two poles, and which are like a magnet.
“The particles flow in the magnetosphere in the same way that a river does around a stone or a bridge pillar and, when trapped, they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms and cause the emission of light. Because descend along magnetic field lines that end near the poles, rings of aurora form around the globe at high latitudes. The aurora you see is the result of billions of excited atoms emitting tiny flashes of light high up in the sky. polar night sky.” he explained.
