Weather: why did the impressive Northern Lights light up the sky?
Impressive Northern lights lit up the night sky during the weekend in different countries. This is the consequence of an “extreme” solar storm that hits the Earth since Friday May 11. A phenomenon which is undoubtedly not over. This geomagnetic storm alert was issued last Friday by the American Space Weather Prediction Center.
150 million km from us, the sun, which is in a period of intense activity, expelled all kinds of particles, electrons or protons which reached the earth, and encountered our atmosphere. It is the collision between these solar particles and those of our atmosphere which, by causing a transfer of energy, created these luminous, green, pink, blue halos. Normally, these northern lights occur more at the North and South poles of our planet, but the intensity of this weekend’s solar storm made them visible elsewhere.
Magnificent photos have circulated in the press and on the internet. Fans were invited to take out their cameras or cell phones to immortalize the moment. These phenomena are more visible in photos than with the naked eye because camera sensors have a finer sensitivity to light than our human retina. In addition, photos of the Northern Lights that are taken at night are generally taken with a long exposure time, which allows more details to be revealed, including trace effects in the sky.
Beyond the spectacle of the Northern Lights, we must fear these solar storms. They can potentially damage electrical systems, as in Quebec in 1989, or in Sweden or South Africa in 2003, but this remains rare. Electrical systems are becoming better and better protected. The other risk is that between 20,000 and 36,000 kilometers above our heads, certain weather, communication or geolocation satellites are damaged by these solar particles. This was clearly not the case this time. Operators nevertheless remain vigilant, as other solar storms may still occur between now and the end of the year. The activity of the sun follows an 11-year cycle, and we remain until October, in particular, in a period of intense solar activity.
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