As of: October 6, 2024 6:54 a.m
This weekend it may be worth looking at the night sky: the northern lights could be seen in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
On Friday night, a research satellite from the US space agency NASA film one of the strongest solar flares in recent years. During such eruptions, tiny particles are thrown towards the earth. When these electrons and protons hit the Earth’s magnetic field, they cause the gas molecules in the upper layer of the Earth’s atmosphere to glow. Northern lights are not uncommon at high latitudes. During violent solar flares they are also visible in northern Germany. Since the weather conditions are right, the Aurora Borealis could also be observed in MV this weekend.
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Storm on the Baltic Sea coast, rain in Western Pomerania or sunshine throughout the country? Here you can find the current weather and forecast for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. more
Currently good conditions for northern light sightings
Basically, all conditions were met to be able to see the northern lights over MV:
- The solar storm is strong enoughto make the earth’s atmosphere glow in northern Germany too. However, whether it actually hits the Earth’s magnetic field can only be predicted with relative certainty a few hours in advance.
- The sky was at least partly cloud-free on Sunday night.
- The third condition is darkness. At the beginning of October, for example, the sun in Schwerin rises around 7:23 a.m. and sets around 6:40 p.m. So it’s not just night owls who have the chance to see the northern lights. Further away from larger cities, there are few other sources of light – and therefore there is a higher probability of seeing the northern lights with the naked eye.
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In May 2024, northern lights could be observed in numerous places in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Image gallery
Solar storms can cause technical disruptions
The solar storm, which brought northern lights to southern Germany in May, reached the highest value on the five-point G scale of the US weather agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). G5 represents an extreme storm. The agency classified the storm, which is now on its way to Earth, as a category G3 storm, a strong solar storm. Space weather phenomena like this can also cause disruptions to GPS and navigation systems, with consequences for air traffic, power grids and space travel.
Several meteor showers and a comet in October
Most recently, in August, the northern lights and shooting stars made many stargazers happy in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Several shooting star showers are expected in October. It starts from October 6th to 10th with the Draconids, which culminate on October 8th. The Taurids continue on October 13th and the Orionids join them at the end of the month. In mid-October, the comet “Tsuchinshan Atlas”, also called “C/2023 A3”, could be visible to the naked eye in the night sky.
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On Tuesday night, people were able to observe two special phenomena – the Perseid peak and colorful glow. more
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