SPACEWEATHER.COM: AN EXPLOSION OF AURORAS OVER NORWAY
AN EXPLOSION OF AURORAS OVER NORWAY: Last night in Tromsø, Norway, there was an explosion of auroras so intense “it made my guests scream and laugh at the same time,” says aurora tour guide Markus Varik. “We had no idea the night would turn out like this!”
Indeed, that’s exactly what’s happening. The northern autumnal equinox is only 3 days away and, as all Arctic sky watchers know, auroras love equinoxes.
Researchers call it the “Russell-McPherron effect.” During the weeks around equinoxes, cracks form in Earth’s magnetic field. Even a slight gust of solar wind can slip through to spark a light show–no geomagnetic storm required.
DATE/TIME FOR 2022: The fall equinox arrives on Thursday, September 22, 2022, at 9:04 P.M. EDT in the Northern Hemisphere. The equinox occurs at the same moment worldwide.
Interesting Facts About Autumn Equinox – Report from 2021
Equinoxes signal the start of Northern Lights
Aurora Borealis refers to a spectacular view of colourful lights in the night sky. Autumn Equinox is the prime time for viewing Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights. This is because geomagnetic storms happen twice as frequently than the annual average. During the equinox, solar winds or the particles of plasma are better able to reach Earth’s atmosphere, due to the Earth’s axial tilt, through our geomagnetic field, and this interaction results in the strongest geomagnetic storms. The particles of plasma interact with atoms of oxygen, nitrogen and other elements in the atmosphere, and release photons of different wavelengths, causing beautiful colours of aurora.
Equinox does not occur on a fixed day
The Autumn Equinox usually occurs on September 22 or 23, but occasionally, it can even occur on September 21 or 24. This happens because the Earth takes 365.25 days or 365 days and 6 hours to orbit the Sun, which means the Equinox occurs 6 hours later than the time at which it happened the previous year. The Gregorian calendar does not consider those six hours. Instead, these six hours account for the additional day in a leap year. Because of leap years, the day of the equinox is reset to September 22 or 23. 1931 was the last time Autumn Equinox happened on September 24, and it will happen next in 2303.
Autumn Equinox once marked the start of the new year
According to the French Republican Calender, the Autumn Equinox marked the official start of every new year, between 1793 and 1805. This is because the French monarchy was eradicated one day before the equinox in 1792. From 1793 to 1805, the first day of each year began when the autumnal equinox fell at the Paris Observatory.
Equinox is an instantaneous phenomenon
Equinox is usually thought of as a phenomenon lasting an entire day. However, it is a single moment in time, when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, which is an imaginary line in the sky above Earth’s equator. Equinox is a moment when Earth’s axis neither tilts away nor towards the Sun. After Autumn Equinox, there will be earlier sunsets and later sunrises in the Northern Hemisphere.
Day and Night are not precisely 12 hours each
Aequus, meaning ‘equal’, and nox, meaning ‘night’, are the Latin words from which the word equinox has been derived. However, day and night are not precisely 12 hours each on the day of fall or spring equinox. In some places in the Northern Hemisphere, the Sun will appear to be above the horizon when it is actually below it, because of the refraction of sunlight, according to National Weather Service.
People living far from the Equator will experience longer days.
Though the centre of the Sun sets 12 hours after sunrise, the day begins a little before the centre of the Sun rises, because the upper edge of the Sun rises above the horizon before the centre. Similar is the case with sunset, because it doesn’t occur until the entire Sun completely sinks below the horizon. This is why the days are still a bit longer when the Autumn Equinox begins, and a few days after that, equal days and nights start occuring.
2 Sun/AHAU (Cherokee, Flower/GUN’TSI)
Galactic Tone 2: Mysterious as the question ‘to be or not to be?” Two is the recognition of the separation of self from all else and the desire to be rejoined. Walking a balance while making choices of all kinds, light/dark, male/female, good/bad, Yin/Yang, is the energy of this number. Experiencing the differences between one and another is the use and purpose of this number.
Sun/AHAU: Day of the ancestors and connection to their guidance. The divine face of the sun – lord, musician, singer, dancer, and marksman. Suns are artistic, heroic athletes, visionaries with wise judgment who lead and defend the people. So much is expected from themselves and by other people that unfulfilled expectations are a certainty. An accumulation of these disappointments may lead Sun to evade responsibilities, not accept corrections and even build resentment and disdain towards others. Suns should simplify their lives to be able to rise and shine with unconditional love once again.
Cherokee, Flower/GUN’TSI EK: Symbol is the Sun, place of abode of Great Spirit. The Sun creates, nurtures, and is the super communicator, the way station that relays messages and energy from other stars in the galaxy; provides energy for channeling information from the Ancestors; speaking the Living Language of Light, which ignites the consciousness in others. Gold is the color of courage and opportunity of wealth. Creative arts, master craftsman expressing divinity and wisdom through their creations. The face of the flower follows the Sun gathering the fire of creativity, illuminating harmony and balance, resonating peace and continuity within the human spirit. This is the Sign of the Chalice of the Infinite, Caldron of Creation.
[Text in italics was the primary source of inspiration for my journal. These are the sources that started my journey and they are the reference for interpretation each day. By providing the original text, I hope to offer a way to see what inspired my thoughts and by including all the aspects – allow for something more to inspire you. Mayan descriptions are those written by Ian Lungold. Cherokee descriptions came from multiple sources. Links to sources and other resources of study are offered on the Daykeeper Resources Page. ~Debra]
Jaguar Spirit 