“A geomagnetic storm of moderate to strong intensity could cause beautiful auroras for New Year's Eve,” alerts X AstroPierre, a scientific mediator. Enough to arouse the curiosity of quite a few enthusiasts!
The KP index is announced at 6 this Tuesday. Above 5, it is the sign of a geomagnetic storm.
Last October, many Bretons immortalized the night sky adorned with magnificent pink, orange, yellow and even green lights. To celebrate the new year, this phenomenon could therefore happen again.
An expected impact in the evening or… very early in the morning
“The main models (HUXt, Enlil) agree for an impact in the evening (between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.). Two CMEs (coronal mass ejections) arrive more or less at the same time, in this configuration either they accumulate, or they cannibalize and neutralize each other,” warns a knowledgeable photographer on a Facebook page dedicated to these phenomena.
According to the Futura website, based on several experts including NASA, they could occur from 2 a.m. on January 1.
Enough to take the trouble to take out your camera, especially since the auroras may not be visible to the naked eye if their intensity is too weak.
A very cloudy sky
Another condition that will have to be monitored: the weather. If the sky is too overcast, no observations will be possible. This Tuesday evening, the clouds are likely to be there over most of Brittany unfortunately. But in the southern part of France, the sky will probably be less overcast, according to Météo France.
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