It is a rare sight at low latitudes, more common in the northern skies, but this time it was visible even in Portugal. This Friday night was marked by the aurora borealis seen in several countries, at lower latitudes than usual, including the Portuguese territory. Tonight's phenomenon, which features skies painted in shades of pink or purple, can be seen with the naked eye in less well-lit locations, away from urban areas.
Viseu, Coimbra, Guarda or Portalegre were among the areas where the aurora borealis were observed on mainland Portugal, as evidenced by photos and testimonials shared on social media by pages of meteorological enthusiasts such as Meteo Trás-os-Montes.
The origin of this phenomenon is an extremely intense electromagnetic storm, likely the largest in recent decades, within a periodic period of significant solar activity that… It reached its peak this year.
Auroras occur when there is a fall of matter during periods of solar activity that reaches the Earth's atmosphere. Particles expelled by the Sun interact with the Earth's magnetic field, especially in the polar regions, resulting in the famous displays of colored lights, usually green or blue, that are repeated in the skies of the North and South Poles.
When very strong solar storms like the current one occur, the aurora produces redder lights (shades of pink, orange or purple) and is visible at lower latitudes – that is, farther from the polar regions.
According to the North American Weather Service, we are currently experiencing “a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections that began on May 8,” originating from a spot on the sun's surface 17 times larger than Earth's, which could generate a new nor'easter. Lights all this weekend. In other words, there may be a new opportunity to witness the phenomenon on Saturday night into Sunday.
In Europe, according to photos published by news agencies and testimonies circulated on social media, it was possible to see the night sky with shades of pink in the far southern regions such as the Iberian Peninsula, including in Portugal, and in Italy, in addition to a group that includes France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria. . It is also visible in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and Russia.
In North America, as well as Canada, the aurora borealis will be visible across most of the United States. States to the south such as California and Alabama could be the scene of an unusual display for their latitude.
In the Southern Hemisphere, there are records of colored lights in the skies of New Zealand and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Solar storms, such as the one occurring now, are not associated with harmful health effects. However, they can cause disturbances in more sensitive devices, including telecommunications satellites, and in electrical distribution networks.
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