The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis is a phenomenon that occurs in the polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctic due to disturbances in the magnetosphere, mostly triggered by the solar wind. For the first time, this phenomenon was captured in Ladakh, by the Indian Astronomical Observatory.
When witnessed near the North they are called Aurora Borealis, while those in the South are called Aurora Australis. Auroras are produced when solar wind particles collide with atoms and molecules in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. These lights are usually seen in high-latitude regions when measured from the equator.
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The Northern Lights made a remarkable appearance across the world on Friday, May 10 as a result of the most powerful solar storm in more than twenty years striking Earth.It was visible for the first time in Indian skies in Ladakh's Hanle above Mount Saraswati.
Despite Ladakh’s mid-latitude location the skies turned into a stunning red glowaround 1 a.m. on May 11. The spectacle at Ladakh was more of a red arc unlike the commonly seen multicoloured hues in the Arctic region.
Apart from Ladakh, the Aurora Borealis and Australiswere also visible across parts of Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, Russia, Germany, and China.
Vibrant hues of green, red, and purple colours illuminated the skies across Europe and US. Many took to social media to post pictures of the incredible sights.
“This was literally just taken with my iPhone in Crawford County Arkansas. I am literally in tears. I'm 70 years old and I never dreamed in my life.. I would see the northern lights that's actually the lights from my house in those windows. I can't believe this. Thank you, God”, wrote a user on ‘X’.
An excited resident of Florida wrote, “Northern Lights RIGHT NOW over #KeyLargo Florida, this is insane to see the Aurora Borealis so far south!” and a user from Tuscany, Italy, called it an “unbelievable moment.”
Visitors and photographers from all over the worldtravel long distances to witness the vivid and phenomenal beauty of the Lights.
Ma Jingxuan from Beijing, embarked on a road trip to Mohe specifically to witness the mesmerizing display of red auroras. "I drove all the way from Beijing and finally caught a glimpse of the northern lights. It was absolutely beautiful and awe-inspiring," Ma exclaimed as he captured the magical moment with his camera, the Guangming Daily reported on Saturday.
While the beauty of the Northern Lights is blinding, they significantly impact the electrical power grids and disrupt communications and navigation systems. Alerts have been sounded by the scientific bodies of some countries that disruptions may occur in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) region in the Earth’s atmosphere where most of the navigation and communication occur if the solar storms continue for long. But for now, people are flocking to see this mesmerizing and rare phenomenon, and celebrating the splendour of nature.