Hampton said that in 20, tourists seeking out the aurora may have been disappointed. The northern lights dance above the Koyuk checkpoint during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on March 12, 2012. “And now we’re starting to see not only the regular aurora, but also these storms that come along and that’s what makes people excited.” “We’re rolling back into where we’re starting to get a few sunspots again,” Hampton said. Periods with more sunspots can translate to very active and bright auroras, he said.
While the sun is reversing its magnetic field, it also gets what are called sunspots - dark spots on the sun - which are related to the areas where solar storms come off the sun, Hampton said. “Because you get these storms that come through.” “What that means is during those periods when it’s changing, you actually get the best conditions for aurora,” Hampton said. As the sun does that, the solar wind starts to change, Hampton aid.ĭuring the change, sometimes the wind can come out in big bursts, known as coronal mass ejections, or solar storms. The sun also has a magnetic field that reverses every 11 years, he said. Earth’s magnetic field captures that solar wind and from there, after a few other processes, the world gets the aurora borealis. The two main ingredients for the aurora are solar wind and earth’s magnetic field, Hampton said. “That’s what really drives the aurora,” he said. Similar to how a cup of tea on a windowsill shows steam in the light, the sun has a constant stream of particles coming off of it, known as solar wind, Hampton said. Here’s what we can expect and how you can catch a great northern lights show. “It all starts with the sun,” Hampton said. Next year and the year after might be even better in terms of aurora borealis activity and brightness, according to Donald Hampton, research associate professor at the University of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute. Those on the hunt for an exciting northern lights display may be in luck this winter thanks to changing solar winds.
Temperatures throughout the night hovered around negative 35 degrees. The northern lights light up the night sky in Denali National Park and Preserve around 5 a.m. Updated: NovemPublished: November 26, 2021
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