Description

A sky wonder discovered in Canada!

It appears as a thin arc of light running across the night sky, like a violet pathway to the heavens. The rarity of this nighttime display is enough to take one?s breath away. Featured using neon colour technology, this coin forever showcases the sky phenomenon known as ?Steve,? a rare wonder that was discovered right here in Canada!

A Canadian discovery

?Steve? was largely un-documented until 2016, when members of the Alberta Aurora Chasers brought it to the attention of the scientific community. The phenomenon is related to what’s known as a sub-auroral ion drift, and it happens when charged particles in the atmosphere flow at extreme speeds. Until recently, it was frequently photographed but little understood. As scientists continue to unravel the mystery of ?Steve,? the story of its discovery highlights the contributions made by amateur skywatchers everywhere.

KEY SPECIAL FEATURES:

Second coin in a new series. This is the second coin in our three-part Sky Wonders series, which highlights some of the naturally occurring optical illusions that are a rare display in our skies.

A technological wonder. UV light intensifies the neon colour of the ?Steve? phenomenon over the aurora borealis.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Selective colour. The partial use of colour keeps the focus on the phenomenon, while the landscape is brought to life by fine engraving.

Look down, not up. The design makes you feel like you are outside looking up at the sky, but the experience is sized to fit in the palm of your hand.

Different technology every time. Each coin in this series features a different lighting effect.

Subscribe to the series to ensure a complete set:

Coin #1 (June 2019): Fire Rainbow

Coin #2 (August 2019): ?Steve?

Coin #3 (October 2019): Light Pillars

DID YOU KNOW?

While the aurora borealis can appear in the north whenever the sky is clear and dark, ?Steve? is thought to occur just a few times each year. This bright band of gas occurs separately from the aurora; it typically stretches in an east-west direction over hundreds of kilometres, and may be visible in the sky for up to an hour.

The phenomenon?s name started out as a light-hearted reference to a movie in which a character named an unknown object ?Steve.? A physicist later proposed the backronym STEVE for ?Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement,? which is how the phenomenon has come to be known.

DESIGN

The reverse design by Tony Bianco features a nighttime scene in early fall. Above the engraved lakeside campsite, a touch of neon colour vividly brings the ?Steve? phenomenon to life under UV light. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.