There were a lot of places in the Northern Hemisphere that had a brilliant display of the aurora borealis Monday night.
Unfortunately, Emporia was not on the list, although there were a few pictures submitted to KVOE News — and Emporia State University physics instructor and Peterson Planetarium Director Mark Brown says there were two reasons why, one of which was timing.
The other reason: the magnetic alignment of the solar flare compared to Earth’s magnetic field.
Aurora borealis displays are made possible whenever strong plasma flares are shot off the sun’s surface.
Brown says the current ejection was Earth-facing, meaning a prime setup for viewing in general terms, and this was a potent event — with the plasma reaching Earth in around 25 hours as opposed to the typical three to four days of travel time.
There have been several opportunities to see the aurora locally over the past year. Brown tells KVOE News the best chances to see aurora locally happen as part of 11-year cycles. Brown also expects this current cycle to slow down later this year, with opportunities generally redeveloping by 2031.
If you have photos from aurora activities Monday night, message the KVOE Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply text line at 620-342-5963.
