Here's why the northern lights have been more visible across Canada lately
The northern lights have been putting on quite a show recently, as Canadians have witnessed the spectacle several times over the past week.
It turns out there’s a reason behind why aurora activity has been so high of late.
Daily Hive got in touch with Dr. Rosanna Tilbrook, an astronomer at the H.R. Macmillan Space Centre in Vancouver, who provided more insight into why the northern lights have been so active.
What are the northern lights?
Before getting into the frequency of the northern lights, it is helpful to know what they actually are.
The Canadian Space Agency provides a helpful explanation.
“As Earth’s magnetic field protects us from the solar wind, the magnetic field lines are dragged and stretched. They snap back like an elastic band, launching charged particles down towards Earth’s surface along the magnetic field lines,” notes the CSA.
“Auroras occur when these charged particles launched along Earth’s magnetic field collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere.”
The collisions with the gasses produce flashes that appear as colourful light.
Why are we seeing the northern lights more often?
According to Tilbrook, the reason the northern lights have been visible more often is because the sun is at a “maximum of its activity.”
Northern lights in Southern Nova Scotia, Canada. 43° latitude. pic.twitter.com/AVImFPWW3d
— Vincent Schnabl (@vincentschnabl) October 11, 2024
“The sun has an 11-year solar cycle, where it goes through phases of being more or less active, and at the minute, it’s at its peak,” she explained.
More sun activity means the sun is also producing more coronal mass ejections, which are the charged particles mentioned by the CSA.
“When those… particles interact with a magnetic field, that’s when we get the aurora,” continued Tilbrook.
“So basically, the reason we’ve been seeing more [of the northern lights] is because the sun is at the peak of its cycle.”
Do the colours of the auroras mean anything?
If you’ve been lucky enough to catch nature’s light show, you’ll know it usually paints the skies with hues of purple, green, and pinkish-red.
While they look pretty, there’s also a scientific explanation behind the various shades.
Tilbrook reiterated that charged particles emitted from the sun interact with molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere to produce different colours of light.
Amazing Aurora!!! #southernontario #canada #northernlights #countryroads pic.twitter.com/frgQiRbLH8
— Dawn Furey🫐 (@DawnFurey) October 11, 2024
The aurora’s various colours also have to do with how high up in the atmosphere the lights are.
Green is the most common aurora colour seen with the bare eye. It’s produced when charged particles collide with oxygen molecules at altitudes between 100 to 300 km.
Pink or dark red is the result of the particles clashing with nitrogen at about 100 km altitude. Blue or purple tints are hard to spot and are produced by hydrogen and helium molecules.
Will there be more aurora activity soon?
If you’re trying to see the northern lights again soon, Tilbrook says to keep an eye out. Aurora activity will likely continue and be visible across parts of Canada throughout the winter.
Check out the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) website, as it releases a daily aurora view line forecast, providing more up-to-date information on whether you may be able to see the lights.