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For a few weeks now beyond the spring equinox – marked on 20 March this year – there is evidence of an enhancement to the aurora.<\/p>\n
Professor Mike Lockwood, president of the Royal Astronomical Society told BBC Weather that “your chances of seeing aurora at low latitudes is enhanced at the equinoxes because of the Russell-McPherron effect”.<\/p>\n
Earth is tilted on an axis of 23.5 degrees. On its orbit around the Sun, that tilt is either towards or away from the Sun at the solstices – which in the northern hemisphere is summer and winter respectively.<\/p>\n
At the equinoxes in March and September, Earth is neither tilted towards or away from the Sun in relation to its axis.<\/p>\n
This varying Sun-Earth alignment throughout the year results in differences to the amount of solar energy that interacts with Earth’s magnetic field and therefore changes the strength of aurora.<\/p>\n
As the solar wind – the stream of energy and particles which have their own magnetic field – interacts with Earth’s magnetic field, a process called magnetic reconnection occurs.<\/p>\n
Imagine tiny bar magnets travelling through space that are in the correct north to south orientation so they are attracted to Earth’s magnetic field.<\/p>\n
“This reconnection process that lets the energy into Earth’s environment and powers the aurora [facilitated at the equinox] means you get this extra coupling of energy” said Prof Lockwood.<\/p>\n
This leads to stronger aurora compared to summer and winter when the alignment is less favourable.<\/p>\n
Having the extra energy of an Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejection and geomagnetic storm will increase chances even more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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