Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
The night skies over Ireland have become an interesting display of the Northern Lights for the first time as parts of the nation lit up with a rare, spectacular event. The aurora borealis, a phenomenon normally seen in the Arctic, broke out over Irish skies after increased solar activity, giving stargazers and enthusiasts a treat to behold. It was visible throughout the country, in counties Cork, Clare, and Wexford, where many were surprised to view the very vibrant colors.
While the Northern Lights can frequently be spotted in places near the magnetic poles, an aurora is somewhat of a rare occurrence here in Ireland, where latitude is quite low. But last night was just right for the climate so that the aurora touched Irish skies. The Met Office cites the reasons for this happening as increased activity on the sun during the so-called solar cycle, which recurs every 11 years with fluctuations in the output of solar energy.
Solar Cycle Understanding Met Office space weather manager, Krista Hammond, said “We are in the solar maximum phase currently, where sunspots are frequent more, and that is the highest possibility of solar storms. The storms could interact with Earth’s magnetic field, which may produce that dazzling light of the aurora. This is going to be until 2025, so perhaps more opportunities like this one in the coming years.
Catch the Next Display If you missed last night’s show, the Northern Lights might make an encore tonight. NOAA offers a real-time aurora forecast, which does a pretty good job of predicting windows of activity thirty minutes in advance. A good strategy also includes watching for the sun’s activity over a 27-day solar cycle to look for surges of high energy that might generate an aurora.
The best opportunity to see the aurora is when it is dark and cloudless with minimum light pollution. Dark sky reserves such as the Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve in Ireland and Mayo International Dark Sky Park provide optimal viewing sites. The farther north one travels, the greater the opportunity to be able to observe the aurora; however, even southern parts of Ireland have reported seeing the aurora during periods of increased activity of the sun.
The Northern Lights are not confined to Ireland. A big geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for many northern U.S. states where also the aurora will be visible. Among these states are Alaska, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin are the states where you could expect to see the lights with a big chance. NOAA forecasts that this geomagnetic activity will be strong enough to push the line of visibility of the aurora southwards, giving the people residing in areas that do not normally witness this event a rare treat.
The aurora borealis is where charged particles of the sun smash with molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere, freeing those charged particles as light. The interactions mostly occur near the Earth’s magnetic poles, which explains why the lights appear more frequently in polar regions. The color of the aurora ranges from green through tints of pink and violet, according to the kind of gas molecule participating and the altitude at which the interaction occurs.
Those willing to take pictures of the Northern Lights should apply the long exposure settings of their cameras. Slow shutter speeds and night mode capture bright colors of auroras during photography. It is a great idea also to have some location that minimizes interference with light for good photos of auroras.
During the next year, the solar cycle will climb to its maximum and, in turn, allow for several more aurora sightings as the year unfolds. Whether you are in Ireland or any other part of the northern hemisphere, keeping your radar out for some of the space weather forecasts from agencies like the NOAA and the Met Office will only increase your chances of witnessing such phenomenal natural displays.
Last night, Ireland caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights quite an awe-inspiring reminder of some of the more spectacular beauty that our world has in store for us. The solar activity should stay high, so skywatchers both in Ireland and elsewhere may expect opportunities aplenty to witness this astronomical phenomenon soon enough.
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