After last week’s show, NASA is announcing another solar storm that could bring new aurora borealis.
On May 10 and 11, during the Ascension Bridge, the Northern Lights lit up the sky in many regions of France, offering an unusual spectacle for these latitudes. Usually reserved for territories located near the poles, these natural phenomena have set the skies of several European countries such as Spain and northern Italy ablaze. If you weren’t able to take advantage of it last weekend, keep your hopes up because the event could happen again in the coming months thanks to a peak in the Sun’s activity.
The Northern Lights take the form of colorful ribbons that dance in the night sky. Although the phenomenon is visible mainly at night, it is caused by the solar wind emitted by our star. Indeed, the Sun ejects electrical particles, usually blocked by the magnetic field of our planet. However, some of them manage to cross it and enter our atmosphere. When these particles meet the atoms present in the air, colored veils are born in the sky, forming the Northern Lights. Their colors depend in particular on the altitude at which the aurora forms and although green is the most common shade, it can happen to see blue, pink or even red or even several shades simultaneously!
According to NASA, which works with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the Sun is currently approaching a peak of activity which results in the appearance of more and more sunspots and more solar flares. frequent than usual. Last fall, the organization concluded, thanks to statistical data, that the next peak should occur between January and October 2024, the period in which we currently find ourselves.
It is therefore entirely possible that the Sun will once again bombard us with its particle wind causing new Northern Lights. However, scientists are not able to say whether the long-awaited peak will occur in the coming weeks or rather next fall. You will have to be patient to find out, as new solar flares, less strong than those at the beginning of May, could again be observed around May 13.
Although it is impossible to predict their appearance two to three days in advance, the Northern Lights have the great advantage of being able to be admired without any equipment. They usually appear at the start of the night, only a few hours after the sun has set. It is also easier to observe them from a place free of light pollution. If you want to try your luck, we advise you to move away from cities which tend to spoil astronomical observations.
