(ORDO NEWS) — A coronal mass ejection (CME) entered the Earth‘s magnetic field on April 2 at 01:00 UT. This may be a CME launched by an X1.3 class solar flare on March 30 (sunspot AR2975). When the Earth passes through the magnetized CME trace, Kp5 class geomagnetic storms are possible.
Coronal ejection “Cannibal” hit the Earth’s magnetic field on March 31. Twenty-four hours later, observers are still seeing the afterglow. Marybeth Kitzenski took this shot before sunrise on April 1st from Grassi Butte, North Dakota:
“Purple Aurors!!!” exclaims Kitzenski. “I stayed up all night and finally noticed some purple pillars around 3:30 am.”
Auroras are usually green in color, a color that comes from oxygen atoms pierced by energetic particles falling from space. Purple, on the other hand, is rare. This is a sign of a strong radiance observed from a distance.
Molecular nitrogen ions near the top of the earth’s atmosphere glow purple. Since Kitzenski was far away from the aurora, she could only see the purple upper part of the light show, with the lower green part hidden behind the trees and the horizon.
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