【Moans of a Blossomed Sister in law】

Named "Steve,Moans of a Blossomed Sister in law" the swathes of purple light filling skies over Regina, Canada, spurred plenty of intrigue when discovered by citizen scientists.

The lights, the likes of which locals had never seen before, were understood by scientists to be a new aurora. Or so they thought.

SEE ALSO: YouTube's women of STEM make learning about science fun

Turns out "Steve," which stands for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, is no aurora. It's an entirely new celestial phenomenon, with a different atmospheric process to an aurora.

The conclusion was made by researchers from the University of Calgary in Canada, who authored a study which was published in Geophysical Research Letters.

"So right now, we know very little about it," Bea Gallardo-Lacourt, a space physicist and the study's lead author, said in a statement online.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"And that's the cool thing, because this has been known by photographers for decades. But for the scientists, it’s completely unknown."

Credit: Getty Images

Researchers refer to "Steve" as a "skyglow," to make it distinct from an aurora. Auroras are produced when charged particles from the sun collide with the magnetic fields in Earth's ionised upper atmosphere (the ionosphere), generating a stunning light display.

A NOAA satellite, POES-17, didn't detect any charged particles raining down to Earth's upper atmosphere when "Steve" took place, likely suggesting the "skyglow" could be a result of something else completely.

The next step for researchers is to see if streams of fast ions and hot electrons in the ionosphere are responsible for "Steve," or if the light is produced in higher atmosphere.

So "Steve," what the heck are you?

---

Featured Video For You

---

An ancient human species went extinct because it was 'lazy'

---

• Tech
• Digital Culture
• Shopping
• Social Good
• Games
• Deals
• Science
• Life

• Did Elon Musk push former FAA leader out? Trump admin responds after deadly plane crash
• I tried TikTok's viral lettuce water sleep aid. It was kind of gross and I slept horribly.
• An Interview with Jenny Offill
• Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for August 7
• Best free gift card deal: Get $10 Best Buy gift card with $100 Apple gift card
• Hinge, Tinder, OkCupid encourage UK daters to show COVID
• Sadie Stein on Philip Larkin’s Poem “The Trees”
• Why I ditched app folders and embraced phone chaos
• Ms. Frizzle spotted at Science Marches across the globe
• 'Passages' review: The compelling queer drama the MPA doesn't want you to see

• Miami Heat vs. New Orleans Pelicans 2024 livestream: Watch NBA preseason for free
• Webb telescope finds first clear evidence of a 'steam world'
• Clemson vs. Wake Forest football livestreams: kickoff time, streaming deals, and more
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for October 11: Tips to solve Connections #18.
• Finland vs. England 2024 livestream: Watch UEFA Nations League for free
• Ninja Prime Day deals are still live: Air fryers, coffee makers
• 'Daddy's Head's disturbing ending, explained
• How your phone can save endangered languages
• PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary preorders: Get early access with Walmart+
• Hungary vs. Netherlands 2024 livestream: Watch UEFA Nations League for free

• Amazon CEO tries to sell kids on working on the moon
• Texas bakery faces backlash, then big support, over Pride cookies
• Peter Matthiessen, 1927
• The Disappearing Face of New York by Dan Piepenbring
• Donald Trump talked about space and Buzz Aldrin's face says it all
• Jonathan Lethem on Editing Don Carpenter’s Final Manuscript
• The uncommon birds of George Edwards, born today in 1694
• 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for August 8
• Best external hard drive deal:WD 5TB Elements for $114.99
• Sadie Stein on Philip Larkin’s Poem “The Trees”

• In Paris Agreement speech, Trump never acknowledged the reality of global warming
• 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for August 7
• Two stories selected for the 2014 Best American Short Stories collection
• Photos of Our 2014 Spring Revel
• Trump says he represents Pittsburgh, not Paris, but, um, well...
• Two stories selected for the 2014 Best American Short Stories collection
• Sadie Stein on Smiling at Strangers in Public
• What We’re Loving: Dead Poets, Dead Magazines, Dead Zoo Gang
• Donald Trump talked about space and Buzz Aldrin's face says it all
• The FCC just fined a robocall company $300 million