Staring up into a starry sky is magical.

And when northern lights are present, the sky becomes even more breathtaking.

As a Canadian, I’ve been lucky enough to see this spectacular show.

The classic aurora borealis skyline displays ribbons of green and yellow rippling through the sky. You may have even seen a narrow purple arch with little green waving features in the mix. And if you have, you’ve met STEVE.

Officially discovered by Canadian citizen scientists in 2017, and named STEVE by Chris Ratzlaff one of the co-authors of a research paper published this year. STEVE began as an amusing placeholder name but has stuck and now stands for Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.

He (STEVE) is an atmospheric optical phenomenon who is particularly fond of Alberta.

Check out some beautiful footage of mysterious STEVE and his friends and learn a bit more about him: