Par
Martin Leduc
Published on
10 oct. 2024 à 16h47
See my news
Follow News
“Splendid”, “breathtaking”, but also “capricious”. So many adjectives that can characterize the northern lightsthese kinds of gigantic colored curtains which seem to hover in the night sky.
This Wednesday October 9, 2024, a huge solar flare has been detected by the instruments of scientists. And who says big solar flare says possibility of seeing the Northern Lights.
Also, while this solar wind is heading straight towards us, the Alps Operational Space Weather Center (Comea) is very enthusiastic: “Clearly, [ce jeudi soir], It’s one of the days we’re most likely to see them this year. », explains, toactu.frOlivier Katz, forecaster at Comea. Even if we have to hope that the weather will be good.
The Northern Lights, this magnificent phenomenon… but capricious
We’re not 100% sure we’ll see any. “There is never certainty”, as the specialist insists. “It’s difficult to be 100% certain more than three hours before the show,” explained Fabrice Mottez, editor-in-chief of the magazine. Astronomy and researcher (CNRS) at the Paris Observatory. “We know how to detect auroras once they are there, but not anticipate them,” added Gilles Dawidowicz, vice-president of the Astronomical Society of France.
The big problem is that the good performance of the Northern Lights is closely linked to the magnetic orientation of the solar wind. And we can’t know that until he’s there. “It’s like with magnets”, image Olivier Katz. “If they are similar, they repel each other. If they are opposites, they attract each other.”
Early evening, perfect timing
Wednesday’s eruption was “really very powerful, and sent very energetic particles,” reports Olivier Katz. In addition, there is still residual activity in our atmosphere due to last week’s eruption, which already raised hopes of the Northern Lights on Friday October 4, 2024.
They ended up arriving in the north of France, like here in Brittany, or there in Normandy, but late Monday evening. And weakly.
Still, some of the particles sent by the previous eruption are still there, and could react to those arriving at the time of writing.
The particle-laden solar wind is expected to arrive between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Perfect timing to attend the showsince a nocturnal environment is necessary to properly see these pink, green or red curtains floating in the sky.
If and only if the magnetic orientation is correct, “there is a good chance that we will be able to see them throughout France,” marvels the specialist. At the time of writing, the direction seems good, indicates Comea.
How to properly see the show?
The Northern Lights mainly make their show towards the North Pole, it is advisable to look in this direction as soon as it starts to get dark. “The more you live in the south of France, the more you will have to look towards the horizon,” explains Olivier Katz.
The sky will, of course, have to be clear. Getting away from any light pollution is important, and being up high is a big plus if you want to enjoy the show in the best way.
You will also have to be patient, and not come in if there is nothing after five minutes: you could miss something. “The Northern Lights can last several hours or several seconds,” explained Gilles Dawidowicz for a previous article.
And it would still be a shame to miss such a spectacle, right?
Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.
