Scientists Unravel the Mystery of STEVE

From NASA

When you see a news story about scientists conducting research into what powers STEVE, you have to read it. You have to. And yes, STEVE is an acronym, though it was surprisingly difficult to find that out. Seriously, Wikipedia doesn't even mention it on their entry.

Anyway, STEVE stands for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement, and basically, it's a type of aurora except it isn't. It's found further south than auroras typically are, and are much thinner. Essentially, instead of being powered by charged solar particles that excite electrons in the upper atmosphere, STEVE is caused by particles in the ionosphere rubbing against each other and heating up. It's similar to how an incandescent light bulb works.

Again, I just want to emphasize the name. STEVE. I think my younger brother named it.