Solar flares may trigger new waves of northern lights in Europe

Some lucky people will be able to experience one of nature's amazing views over the next few days. Thanks to predictions of strong geomagnetic storms, The northern lights may be visible At relatively low latitudes on the Earth (compared to normal latitudes).

According to the Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there are two G3 (strong) level magnetic storms. It must be done between today (4) and next Sunday (6).

It is estimated that the cause of these storms is the giant solar explosions that occurred on the first and second of October. The latest date is the highest recorded since 2017; Responsible for shooting huge columns of solar material towards Earth – in an effect known as a coronal mass ejection (CME).

This substance is largely responsible for aurora. This is because when a coronal ejection interacts with our planet's magnetosphere, it brings ions into the Earth's magnetic field, generating geomagnetic storms. During storms, ions collide with gases in our atmosphere, releasing energy that appears as light.

When this phenomenon occurs in the Northern Hemisphere, we call it the aurora borealis. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is called the Australian twilight.

With the arrival of two coronal ejections, the forecast for new geomagnetic storms is very promising, which could be fascinating for astronomy and photography enthusiasts. In an almost unprecedented moment, it is estimated that the aurora borealis can be seen at latitudes as low as 50°C. Which in Europe would be something around northern France.

Geomagnetic storms are classified by NOAA using the G scale to measure their intensity. They range from G1, at its lowest intensity, to G5, where it is extreme. The alert issued for geomagnetic storms expected to occur over the coming days is G3.