The aurora is one of the most captivating natural phenomena in the night sky. Typically occurring in Earth’s polar regions, auroral activity is concentrated in an oval-shaped region known as the auroral oval, where a variety of visually stunning and physically complex structures emerge. Just equatorward lies the subauroral region—scientifically intriguing, yet historically less visually dramatic.

This changed with the discovery of a remarkable optical phenomenon: STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement). Unlike traditional aurora, STEVE originates in the subauroral ionosphere and appears as an extremely narrow, luminous ribbon of purplish-white light stretching across the sky. First reported by citizen scientists, STEVE has captured the attention of both the public and the scientific community.

By combining ground-based and satellite observations with citizen science contributions, we now have a unique opportunity to explore this phenomenon in unprecedented detail. In this seminar, I will introduce the fundamentals of auroral and subauroral science, review our current understanding of STEVE, highlight recent findings, and discuss the many open questions that remain. These challenges provide exciting opportunities for future research, interdisciplinary collaborations, and the development of new observational tools.

*Refreshments: 10:30 - 11:00 AM (ES&T L1205)