Northern Lights: Rare aurora-like phenomen called STEVE captured in Northumberland

A strong thermal emission velocity enhancement, a rare aurora-like phenomenon named a Steve in 2016 by scientists in Canada, was spotted over Bamburgh lighthouse in Northumberland. Credit: PA

A rare atmospheric optical phenomenon was spotted over skies in the UK on Sunday night.

While photographers captured another spectacular display of the Northern Lights, also on show was the lesser spotted strong thermal emission velocity enhancement, a rare aurora-like phenomenon named a Steve.

First named by aurora watchers in Canada in 2016, it is relatively new to scientists, according to US space agency NASA.

Did you spot STEVE? How to see the aurora borealis' lesser known cousin

The atmospheric optical phenomenon is caused by a flowing ribbon of hot plasma breaking through into the earth's ionosphere, appearing in the sky as a purple, red and white arc. 

On Sunday, PA photographer Owen Humpreys said: "People associate the Northern Lights with Iceland, which funnily enough I do go to quite a lot but it's just incredible to have this on the doorstep."

He added: "Tonight has been really special. I think many people have captured it along the coast. I'm seeing lots of posts come up on social media and everyone seems to have been getting some fantastic images all the way along the coast."

The Northern Lights, captured over Bamburgh lighthouse in Northumberland. Credit: PA

What is the difference between Steve and the aurora?

According to the European Space Agency, a typical aurora is caused by energetic electrons traveling down Earth’s magnetic field. When those electrons collide with the atmosphere roughly 100 km above Earth’s surface, they excite atoms which then emit red, green, and violet light.

In contrast, Steve does not appear to be caused by energetic electrons, and is white in colour.

It can be spotted further south than the usual aurora borealis.

Viewers from across the region have been sending in their shots from last night's show of the Northern Lights.

The Northern Lights at Castleside, County Durham. Credit: Tiani Graham
The Northern Lights over the boathouses on Holy Island. Credit: Steve Seddon
The Northern Lights, pictured from Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire. Credit: Stacey Holme

The Met Office said the lights were seen across Scotland on Sunday, with sightings also reported in central and eastern parts of England.

What are the Northern Lights?

The colourful aurora is caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with molecules in the Earth’s upper atmosphere.

The charged particles are a result of a phenomenon known as coronal mass ejection (CME) – which is a sudden release of magnetised plasma from the sun’s corona, the outermost part of its atmosphere.

Tips for viewing the Northern Lights

  • Seek out a dark place

  • Find a cloud-free sky

  • In general, looking to the north should give you the best chance of seeing the lights

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