“Elegant green auroral curls” photographed in the night sky of Iceland.
When a solar wind shakes the Earth’s magnetic shield, like plucking a guitar string, “auroral curls” (auroral roll) appear.
Auroral curls are phenomena caused by vibrations in the Earth’s magnetic field. The wavy light streaks reflect the wavelengths of these magnetic pulses – (Photo: JEFF DAI).
This extremely rare phenomenon is the result of large waves oscillating in the Earth’s magnetic field, triggered by high-energy solar particles colliding with our planet.
“They last for a few minutes before completely disappearing,” Jeff Dai, an astrophotographer and member of the World at Night (TWAN) project, wrote on Instagram after capturing this auroral curl.
Auroras are created when high-energy particles from the Sun pass through the Earth’s magnetic field or magnetosphere and excite gas molecules, resulting in the emission of colored light.
Typically, these dancing lights swirl randomly across the night sky, lacking any specific shape or pattern.
These auroral curls are a rare version, emitted from larger ripples in the magnetosphere, known as ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves.
According to Spaceweather.com, these magnetic disturbances are often triggered by a burst of solar radiation, which collides with our planet’s protective shield and can cause our atmosphere to “ring like a bell.”
“Imagine the Earth’s magnetic field as a guitar string. In this new image, we are seeing vibrations in that string,” Xing-Yu Li, a ULF wave expert at Peking University in China, told Spaceweather.com.
Both auroras and ULF waves are more common during periods of high solar activity.
The Sun is currently at the peak of its 11-year cycle, known as solar maximum.
During this time, solar storms become more frequent and intense, generating stronger solar winds. Therefore, we are likely to see more auroral curls in the coming years.
