Aurora Borealis on Christmas: when and where to see the unusual phenomenon
Kyiv • UNN
Due to powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections, the aurora borealis is expected to be seen on December 25 in the high-latitude regions of the United States. The phenomenon may recur in two weeks due to the return of an active sunspot.
Several coronal mass ejections have occurred on the surface of the Sun in recent days. The sky can add to the festive mood with the aurora borealis, thanks to a cluster of charged particles heading towards our planet. The spectacular Northern Lights could be seen last weekend, but auroras are also expected in high-latitude areas of the United States on December 25; also the northern lights will come again in two weeks.
Transmits to UNN with a link to Live Science.
This Christmas, the sky may add to the festive mood with the aurora borealis, thanks to a cluster of charged particles heading toward our planet after a powerful solar flare. Since last Saturday, the Sun has continued to emit more and more radiation.
"The geomagnetic storm that occurred last weekend was a once-in-30-years event and was the largest since 2003," Sean Elvidge, a professor of space environment at the University of Birmingham, told the BBC.
It was caused by at least five coronal mass ejections (CMEs) - magnetic field eruptions and solar storms - that left the Sun in close succession.
It is noted that on Tuesday, a huge solar flare disrupted high-frequency radio communications around the world.
But the hyperactive sunspot will not be the last. The Sun is approaching the so-called "solar maximum" - the point in the 11-year cycle when its activity is at its strongest.
NOAA predicts minor G1 storm conditions that are unlikely to cause disruptions to power grids or other critical infrastructure, the report said.
High-latitude areas of the United States, including northern Montana, Minnesota, and North Dakota, will definitely witness the optical phenomenon of the northern lights late on Wednesday evening, December 25, according to the geomagnetic storm forecast of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.
The huge sunspot cluster that has been spewing energy and gas toward the Earth will return again in about two weeks. According to scientists, it will likely still be large enough to generate more explosions that could affect the Earth's magnetic field, creating more northern lights.
Recall
The Aurora Borealis was observed in the sky over the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany on October 10-11, 2024. The phenomenon was caused by a solar maximum and a geomagnetic storm.
Northern Lights illuminate the night sky across Ukraine: photosOct 11 2024, 06:27 AM • 14309 views
