Northern Lights photograph

Northern Lights

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Originally published July 1995
Authors Philip Pullman
Preceded by The Subtle Knife
Followed by The Subtle Knife
Page count399
Characters Lyra Belacqua
Marisa Coulter
Lord Asriel
Pantalaimon
Lee Scoresby
Will Parry
Date of Reg.
Date of Upd.
ID1651617
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About Northern Lights


Northern Lights is a young-adult fantasy novel by Philip Pullman, published by Scholastic UK in 1995.

What are the Northern Lights? And how can you see them?

What are the Northern Lights? And how can you see them?
Nov 30,2023 1:01 pm

...The Northern Lights are a stunning display of glowing, swirling lights in the night sky that have amazed humankind for thousands of years...

Steve lights up UK skies alongside Northern Lights - but what's the difference?

Steve lights up UK skies alongside Northern Lights - but what's the difference?
Nov 6,2023 6:31 am

... Steve is not an aurora but is often associated with its better known cousin, the aurora borealis - or Northern Lights - which was also captured across parts of the UK on Sunday...

Cause of eerie pink glow over Howden revealed by local business

Cause of eerie pink glow over Howden revealed by local business
Oct 13,2023 9:11 am

...By Linsey Smith and Kevin ShoesmithBBC NewsA strange, pink glow illuminating the skies over East Yorkshire has led people to believe they had seen the Northern Lights...

Sycamore Gap tree: Proposals, photographs and the big screen

Sycamore Gap tree: Proposals, photographs and the big screen
Sep 28,2023 11:41 am

... Mr Sproat last captured the tree against the backdrop of the Northern Lights a week ago...

In pictures: Northern Lights make lively display

In pictures: Northern Lights make lively display
Sep 25,2023 10:21 am

...If you have a clear sky where you live it could be worth looking up over the coming nights - as chances of seeing the aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights, have increased in the UK...

'Stars align' as aurora lights up Inverness wedding photo

'Stars align' as aurora lights up Inverness wedding photo
Sep 20,2023 9:11 am

...By Steven McKenzieBBC Scotland Highlands and Islands reporterA bride and groom got a stunning backdrop for their wedding photographs when their celebrations were interrupted by the Northern Lights...

Northern Lights spotted over East Midlands

Northern Lights spotted over East Midlands
Sep 19,2023 4:21 am

... The phenomenon, known as the Northern Lights, occurs when when atoms in the Earth s high-altitude atmosphere collide with energetic charged particles from the Sun, creating light...

Astronomy Photographer of the Year: Huge plasma arc wins

Astronomy Photographer of the Year: Huge plasma arc wins
Sep 14,2023 3:11 pm

... See more of the winning and highly commended images: This image by Andreas Ettl shows the Northern Lights reflected on Skagsanden beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway...

Steve lights up UK skies alongside Northern Lights - but what's the difference?

Sep 13,2023 8:11 am

By Simon King & James GregoryBBC Weather and BBC News

A message to everyone called Steve - Your Name was quite literally up in Lights on Sunday Night .

Steve is shy and rarely appears in The Skies of the UK - There were reported sightings back in March and in

But Steve has returned, This Time illuminating The Skies over the north-east of England and Scotland.

The thin, purple ribbon, which was seen glowing in the sky in Northumberland, County Durham and Argyll, is a relatively new scientific discovery.

Steve is not an aurora but is often associated with its better known cousin, the Aurora Borealis - or Northern Lights - which was also captured across parts of the UK on Sunday.

The much rarer Steve has appeared in the pictures BBC Weather were sent from their Weather Watchers.

It has been photographed for decades but only got the name Steve in 2016, following a US citizen science project funded by Nasa and The National Science Foundation.

But why Steve ?

The inspiration behind The Glow 's name is thought to be a scene from the animated movie " Over the Hedge".

In it, a group of animals awake from hibernation to find what to them is another awe-inspiring Phenomenon - a big garden hedge.

" What is this thing? " one creature says.

" I'd be a lot less afraid of it if I just knew what it was called, " another says, before a squirrel recommends calling it Steve .

" I'm a lot less scared of Steve , " Another Animal replies.

Scientists later adapted the name into an Acronym - " Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement".

And it's not just sky-watchers who have shown an interest in Steve .

In 2019, The Canadian government minted a collector's coin worth $20 featuring the mysterious streaks of light.

What is Steve ?

Little was known about its formation and why it can sometimes appear during an aurora display.

Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center has been studying Steve using pictures from the ground along with satellites.

While auroras happen globally in an oval shape, Steve appears as a ribbon and lasts for 20 Minutes to an hour before disappearing.

While Steve is only spotted in The Presence of an aurora, it is not a normal aurora as scientists suggests it comprises of a fast-moving stream of extremely hot particles called a subauroral ion drift, or SAID.

As Steve is unpredictable and only lasts for a Short Time , recording occurrences from the ground is rare.

The Phenomenon has been reported from the UK, Canada, northern US states and New Zealand , according to Nasa.

The Aurora Borealis was spotted right across the UK on Sunday Night .

Aurora watchers were alerted to a geomagnetic storm in the evening after a strong solar wind sent charged particles towards Earth.

These charged particles follow the magnetic pull into the North Pole and interacted with oxygen and nitrogen in our atmosphere to create The Greens , purples and reds associated with the Northern Lights .

While normally just seen at high latitudes such as Scotland, it was so strong it was captured on camera right across the UK.

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Source of news: bbc.com

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