"Unveiling the Mysterious Phenomenon: Steve, the Enigmatic Lights in the Sky"

With increased solar activity, a rarely seen light display called Steve has become more visible in the northern and southern latitudes. Unlike aurorae, Steve appears further south and can be seen as a purple and green light ribbon in the sky. It lasts for 20 minutes to an hour and sometimes has a "picket fence" appearance. Steve is associated with auroras but is not classified as one. New research suggests that Steve's streaks occur when charged particles are heated up high in the atmosphere, outside the auroral zone.