From the first two nights of the year 2025, nature offered the Jura residents a fabulous spectacle. Northern lights transformed the sky, to the delight of photographers. Discover magnificent photos.
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This is not the first time that this has happened in Franche-Comté, but each time the event makes an impression. The first northern lights of the year 2025 lit up the sky of the Jura massif with a magical pink around midnight on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday January 1 and then from Wednesday to Thursday January 2.
Michel Gros, a Jura resident who loves the great outdoors, took advantage of this event to immortalize the sky with his camera. “The phenomenon was not visible to the naked eye on the evening of the 31st, because the geomagnetic storm was of low intensity.he specifies. Thanks to his photos, he was able to fully enjoy the show, in the company of his partner and his two daughters. His photos were taken on the small lac de l’Entonnoir (Doubs).
“I took the first ones on the Entonnoir lake in Bouverans on the evening of New Year's Eve on the 31st, they have a particular flavor since I arrived there at the famous countdown to the transition to the new year 2025 at 12:01 a.m. in a polar cold, (frozen lake)”he tells us. “It was the best way to celebrate the new year. We couldn't imagine spending it any other way. Glitter and all, it's not for me, I prefer it when it shines under the stars. ” The next evening, the almost mystical phenomenon occurs again. The colors are even more vibrant and the eye can perceive them this time.
Dragana Lehmann, a professional photographer used to capturing the Jura landscapes and the Lac de Joux area through her lens, also shared sublime photos on social networks. “The Valley was once again colored by the passing of the Northern Lights this evening“, she enthuses.
The Northern Lights, colorful and changing clouds of light in the night sky, sometimes pink, green or purple, occur the vast majority of the time near the North and South Poles. They are born thanks to the magnetic field and solar wind particles.
“These solar wind particles travel between 2 to 4 days before arriving on Earth. They then head towards the magnetic poles, which act like powerful magnets, detailed the Espace des sciences on its website. By coming into contact with the Earth's atmosphere, these particles collide with the oxygen and nitrogen atoms present in the upper layer of this atmosphere. This “chemical collision” suddenly makes these oxygen and nitrogen atoms luminous: it is this reaction that gives the northern lights their color, the energy of the solar wind transforming into light.
There's more to photographing the Northern Lights than simply pressing the shutter button on your camera. This requires a bit of technique, since it is a long pause. Any device allowing these captures to be long enough can do the trick, but the best thing is to have an SLR camera on which you can make precise adjustments. You will also need a tripod to be able to prop up your device. This will allow you to remove any movement in your image (more details here).
2025 promises to be particularly favorable for northern lights phenomena in France, since this year, the sun is in particularly significant solar activity. Night owls take note: prepare your camera and keep your eyes peeled.
