Yesterday, on the night between the years, another aurora spectacle could be observed in the mountains in Switzerland. It continues on Wednesday evening. Several readers sent in pictures of the northern lights in the Swiss sky. Send us your best photo too!
Auroras are the result of eruptions on the surface of the sun. Particularly strong solar flares can result in a coronal mass ejection. This releases a plasma cloud of charged particles that, if aimed at Earth, will reach it in one to two days. When the particles hit the Earth’s magnetosphere, energy is released and can be perceived by the human eye as a glow.
We are currently at the peak of an eleven-year cycle in which sunspots form. As the cycle approaches its peak – i.e. as the number of sunspots increases – so-called coronal mass ejections occur more frequently.
The peak of the cycle the Sun is currently in is expected in 2025. Therefore, activity on the sun has increased significantly and the chances of northern lights in southern regions are increased.
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