See the best images of the Northern Lights around the world
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Many years ago, the northern lights have enchanted and amazed human observers with their mesmerizing dance of multicolored lights. This natural phenomenon, recognized for its beauty, is the result of solar storms that trigger reactions in the Earth's atmosphere. In the last two days, due to one of these notable storms, we have witnessed an extraordinary celestial spectacle in several parts of the world, where many spectators were able to observe it for the first time.
Check it out at showmetech The most stunning images of the Northern Lights captured around the world!
What is the Northern Lights?
As northern lights, also known as aurora boreal, and often referred to as “dancing ribbons” of light, have been a celestial spectacle for millennia. Despite its incomparable beauty, behind this fascinating phenomenon lies a silent violence. This light show is triggered when energy-charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth's upper atmosphere. EARTH, traveling at breakneck speeds of up to 45 million miles per hour (72 million kilometers per hour). Still, we are protected from these cosmic attacks by our planet's magnetic field.
As the Earth's magnetic field directs these particles toward the poles, we witness this process transform into a dazzling atmospheric spectacle in the skies. During this phenomenon, the Sun releases charged particles from its corona — the outermost layer of its atmosphere — creating the solar wind. When this solar wind collides with the Earth's ionosphere, EARTH, aurora boreal rises in the skies, painting them with mesmerizing colors.
The colors of this celestial spectacle, in turn, are determined by the complex chemical composition of the Earth's atmosphere. A variety of atoms and molecules, from atomic hydrogen to carbon dioxide, absorb and radiate their own unique palette of colors. Among them, the red, originating from the molecules of nitrogenAnd Verde, emitted by the molecules of oxygen.
No North hemisphere, the phenomenon is called northern lights, or aurora boreal, while in South hemisphere, it's called southern lights, or southern aurora.
Why does it occur?
So that the different movements and forms of aurora boreal occur on Earth, a complex set of events is required. These include solar winds, reactions from the planet's upper atmosphere, and the movement of particles in near space. These factors combine to result in a variety of movements and shapes, driven by physics occurring along Earth's magnetic field lines.
Furthermore, studying the aurora borealis provides insights into the physics that unfold further out in space, along Earth's magnetic field lines. From the characteristics of the auroras, we can obtain information about atmospheric density, chemical composition, flow speed and intensity of electrical currents in the upper atmosphere. This knowledge is important for protecting terrestrial and space technologies against the dangers of “space weather,” of which auroras are just one part.
Where does she usually appear?
As mentioned previously, these celestial spectacles are observed in the North , the aurora boreal and Sul , the southern aurora, in regions close to the poles.
Na North Polar Region, countries like Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Alaska, Scotland, Greenland, Russia e In Canada have the privilege of witnessing the dance of lights.
Already in South Polar Region, southern aurora is less publicized. This is partly due to its location on the mainland Antarctic, which is home to the largest uninhabited land mass on the planet.
What triggered the appearance of the Northern Lights around the world?
In recent days, the world has witnessed a stunning spectacle of northern lights e southern, phenomena generally more common in polar regions, but which have expanded across the globe due to a solar storm of unprecedented magnitude — the largest in at least two decades. According to United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this storm was classified as 'severe', being responsible for triggering this phenomenon.
These solar storms began to manifest themselves last Friday (10), triggering an ejection of coronal mass (CME) in the south direction. It is crucial to highlight that the CMEs They are gigantic explosions of plasma and magnetic fields that, when interacting with the Earth's magnetic field, produce the famous dancing auroras.
Na Europe, people testified northern lights in unusual places like Budapest, London and even in North de Portugal. On South hemisphere, the phenomenon was seen in Argentina and Chile.
Furthermore, the NOAA predicted that the geomagnetic storm should continue this Monday (13). The expectation is that the aurora borealis will be seen further north on Earth and at higher altitudes.
Impact of solar storms on satellites and electronics
A NOAA issued warnings for satellite operators to remain vigilant given the strong possibility of disruptions to satellites and electrical grids caused by solar storms. Last weekend, they already caused damage to 49 satellites da Starlink, Elon Musk, highlighting the seriousness of the impact of these events.
Solar storms can result in major impacts, including damage or loss of satellites. This is due to the ability of these events to generate magnetic fields so intense that they can damage or even destroy satellites, potentially causing disruptions to GPS, communications and navigation services.
Additionally, there is a risk of power outages, as solar storms can disrupt electrical grids. There is also the possibility that they may affect communication systems, such as radio, television and the internet.
Best photos and videos from the event
With the recent appearance of the phenomenon in recent days, a variety of images of northern lights has emerged on social media. Check out the best ones below:
The northern lights were seen in several countries
The famous stonehedge it became even more dazzling with the presence of the phenomenon.
In Portugal the scene was also enchanting!
Internet users also published videos of the Northern Lights.
No Instagram, several users shared their experience
Na Argentina, the sky presented a beautiful reddish tone.
Already in London, the purplish tones mixed with the blue.
The pilots of a night flight Air Portugal de San Francisco all with Lisbon had a privileged view of the phenomenon.
Na France, the region of Mont St. Michel probably had one of the most impressive views.
Which of these images impressed you the most? Tell us in the comments!
See also on showmetech:
reviewed by Glaucon Vital in 13 / 5 / 24.
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