The spring equinox creates a magnetic crack that supercharges the northern lights
During the spring and autumn equinoxes, Earth’s magnetic field aligns with the solar wind to create temporary cracks that allow charged particles to flood our atmosphere and ignite vibrant auroras.
The Russell-McPherron effect explains why the northern lights are nearly twice as likely to appear during the weeks surrounding the equinoxes. When the sun and Earth reach these specific orbital positions, their magnetic fields can sync up and cancel each other out. This alignment opens a temporary portal that lets solar energy pour into our magnetosphere.
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