Can ponies see unicorn magic aura?

[Colourful Blast 66]

So, I was just wondering if ponies can, Like I mean in Winter Wrap Up, Applejack saw twilight clearing snow, but at first didn't see she used magic. It's either she wasn't paying attention, or aura couldn't be seen. Also, If ponies couldn't see the aura, then In equestria games, they wouldn't have seen twi putting the thing on fire.

Just curious

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,227]

I want to say yes on this one, as it seems like something that would be visible, as a manifestation of energy, though I don't think there is anything majorly concrete to show this. I still think it is visible though, I wouldn't see a point to it having a color otherwise.

[Snow 5,305]

didnt twilight hide her horn/use magic out of sight, ... ughh ima re watch the episode to check lol XD ima edit this post with my findings

ok what.. the snowplough had magic essence all over it e-e i think its just because applejack was so far away she couldn't see it...
i mean.. there was a long shot and i could barley see any purple

Edited August 29, 2016 by Ju88snow

[That Guy with the CMB 5,869]

I'm not sure, but I've definitely thought of this question before. I'd like to think they can, but I think they can't based on reaction times or...somethin'. Perhaps only unicorns (and alicorns) can see it?

 

 

I think it's canon that they can see it, or perhaps it's just to show that there's energy being used there to the audience although nopony actually can see it.

[S.F. 1,560]

I'm going to say yes - when Twi 'banished' the Ursa Minor, there was a lot of extra fanfare going on with her horn (which I guess could just have just been for our benefit to show how much energy she was using), but I feel that we could have been given that impression without as much going on, so I imagine that the ponies could see it too.

[Jeric 46,834]

Yes it is visible. Show Discussion for Gauntlet of Fire I commented on the confirmation of visible magic.

 

"For once I wish that unicorn magic wasn't so luminescent" ~ Rarity

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

Yes it is visible. Show Discussion for Gauntlet of Fire I commented on the confirmation of visible magic.

 

"For once I wish that unicorn magic wasn't so luminescent" ~ Rarity

That seems extremely weak confirmation to me... She's channeling magic through a miner's helmet with a pretty clear flashlight attachment... not at all the usual condition of a simple horn glow, despite her words. If usual unicorn magic provided visible light, then why would she need the helmet in the first place?

 

Besides that, the bats were woken up by Spike's glowing, not Rarity's. It's perfectly possible the bats swarming her mane previously as she mentions was attributable to chance / another light source. Plus, A Canterlot Wedding would have been a lot shorter if Twilight could just point to the "fake" Cadance's magic being green instead of blue.

 

If anything, it only confirms that other unicorns can see the aura, not that it's an actual physical effect observable by all ponies.

 

My own guess is that unicorns can see other unicorn's magic, but other ponies can't.

[shy0wl 484]

I would say yes.  I don't see why there's any reason that if we can see it, that they can't see it.  Unless pony brains aren't sensitive to magic energy? 

[Castle Bleck 19,163]

Yes, because there have been scenes of Unicorns using their auras to light up dark areas.

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

Yes, because there have been scenes of Unicorns using their auras to light up dark areas.

Unless that's a device used by the animators to give us as viewers something other than blackness to look at. And you'd have to comprehensively review all instances of such scenes to distinguish between a visible "aura" effect and a unicorn using magic to create "visible" light.

Which isn't necessarily to say you're wrong, but you'd need more than a broad statement such as given to prove it.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,282]

So, I was just wondering if ponies can, Like I mean in Winter Wrap Up, Applejack saw twilight clearing snow, but at first didn't see she used magic. It's either she wasn't paying attention, or aura couldn't be seen. Also, If ponies couldn't see the aura, then In equestria games, they wouldn't have seen twi putting the thing on fire.

Just curious

 

 

didnt twilight hide her horn/use magic out of sight, ... ughh ima re watch the episode to check lol XD ima edit this post with my findings

 

ok what.. the snowplough had magic essence all over it e-e i think its just because applejack was so far away she couldn't see it...

i mean.. there was a long shot and i could barley see any purple

I think it's visible, but it depends on the ambient lighting conditions. In Winter Wrap-up, Twilight used magic out in bright sunshine on a snow covered field. The glare would be very strong. This would make the magical aura very hard to see from any distance.

[Xeltor23 704]

Yeah they surely can, by taking your exemple in Winter Wrap Up, Twilight was a bit far from AJ I remember, and her horn wans't glowing that much; imagine this situation being in the snow and all, I think I understand why AJ didn't see a thing :3

Edited August 29, 2016 by Xeltor

[cmarston1 5,951]

I am fairly certain that they can.

[Unikitty 1,211]

I don't really believe that the natural magical aura gives off light. I can't recall specific scenes, but I feel like there have been times when magic such as telekinesis was used but wasn't attributed to a character by other characters.

 

Yes, because there have been scenes of Unicorns using their auras to light up dark areas.

Don't forget that unicorns can do a variety of spells. In situations such as lighting a dark area(as shown in an image by a prior user) it's pretty clear that the light emitted is that of an active spell and not that of passive magical aura as seen when using other spells.

 

In some cases, it could be speculated that raw magic aura could be seen - such as high powered spells being cast(Twilight moving the Ursa Minor). However I wouldn't so much consider this as part of their casual passive aura, but rather the fallout of intense and unstable magic use.

[CT-1138 3,179]

Yes. Unicorn horn auras are used to provide illuminescence, making MLPs bioluminescent which pretty darn cool! Also, Rarity visibly and physically extinguished her horn when Discord's magic vines made her's and Sweetie Belle's magic go awry. 

[cider float 2,535]

Combined with the fact that Applejack was far away from Twilight, Applejack also had more trust in what Twilight was doing to not keep a keen eye on her.

[Tarnation 142]

I would like to see it as a yes. I mean like, it is just awesome to. (for some reason)

[silvadel 1,393]

Why do you think Trixie wears a hat while performing?

[ManaMinori 4,143]

They can. Twilight put a hoof in front of her one while she cast a spell for Spike, so others wouldn't see. And Spike was able to see the aura in Winter Wrap up

[Foxy Socks 2,596]

It definitely can. At least a little. I don't know any apecofoc examples not already said, but it makes sense for it. Other magic effects are seen, so it shouldn't this?

[Denim&Venöm 16,453]

I don't think so, as there are examples of ponies walking into magic barriers (Ponyville confidential), as well as not seeing telekinesis in action (MMMYstery on the friendship express).

[Xeltor23 704]

Why do you think Trixie wears a hat while performing?

Well, technically it's a magic show, I think in MLP it's to show the level of your "show magic" or "stage magic" (how Starlight talked about it in their episode), so it's not for hiding her magic I think, on the contrary, she wants to be better at magic... :3

[Twilight Frost 271]

the magical aura thing is not new in super hero fantasy so I would also say that they could. 

[pnylvr 185]

I don't think the color is visible to ponies, though there may be something else visible to them.

 

 

A Canterlot Wedding would have been a lot shorter if Twilight could just point to the "fake" Cadance's magic being green instead of blue

That's my biggest piece of evidence against magic (i.e. magic not being used to produce light) being visible. If the color of the aura was visible, somepony other than Twilight should have noticed something was wrong. Unless there's some kind of illness that can change the color of a magical aura, but that's never brought up. 

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

There's a difference between a unicorn using magic, thus incidentally creating light, and a unicorn specifically producing magical light from their horn. In most situations where a unicorn needs to see in darkness, they use a spell to generate light. Just go look at Boast Busters, A Canterlot Wedding (Part 2) andCastle Mane-ia. If they could do random telekinetic magic and make light appear, why is there a specific "spell" to create light, an effect that is clearly distinct from the normal "aura" of a unicorn's horn?