What causes auroras before the equinox?

On the evening of March 16 in the Earth's magnetic field has opened the "crack" is a small, but capable of causing a geomagnetic storm of G1. Marcus Varick witnessed the appearance of the Aurora Borealis over tromsø, Norway.

"It seemed like the sky falls to the ground. Just look at the city below — as a speck of dust under the cosmic lights!" And the next photo was made by göran strand in Bjorkliden, Sweden.

This storm nobody predicted, but that's not surprising. Before the spring has ravnodenstviya just a few days, and at this time of the year in the Earth's magnetic field often formed "cracks". The solar wind can leak through them and light the bright Arctic lights.

The observed seasonal phenomenon called "effect of Russell — Macfarren". Cracked open by the solar wind. To the South of the magnetic field within the solar wind are counteracting towards the North magnetic field of the Earth, weakening it. This weakening can occur at any time of the year, but at the time of the equinoxes has the greatest effect.

According to 75-year-old study, the March of the geomagnetic is the most active month of the year, followed by September — October, is a direct result of "cracks equinox".

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»