"Meet Steve: The Enigmatic Purple and Green Lights That Aren't Auroras"

Steve, a rare light spectacle that appears closer to the equator than auroras, has been captivating observers in the Northern Hemisphere. Initially misidentified as a proton arc, Steve was given its name during a meeting at a Canadian pub by a group of citizen scientists. Scientists later discovered that Steve is a visual manifestation of subauroral ion drift (SAID), a narrow flow of charged particles in Earth's upper atmosphere. While visually different from auroras, Steve is made up of similar components and appears as a streak of mauve-colored light accompanied by distinctive green bands. As Earth enters a period of enhanced solar activity, or solar maximum, more opportunities to witness Steve at low latitudes are expected.