Auroras sighted in Leh: How a solar storm led to this rare phenomena

In a rare and unexpected display, auroras lit up the night sky in Leh, Ladakh after a severe geomagnetic storm hit earth on Thursday.

The auroras were seen at India’s highest observatory in Hanle. The auroras are typically witnessed farther up in higher latitudes. However, the intensity and frequency of solar storms this year have allowed the lights to capture the night sky much farther down in lower latitudes.

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Sightings of the aurora were also reported in New Mexico and Alabama in the southern parts of the United States, according to news agency Associated Press.

The ‘aurora borealis’ or northern lights as they are commonly referred to are huge bursts of energy called ‘coronal mass ejections’ interacting with gases in the Earth's atmosphere-blue and purple from nitrogen, green and red from oxygen.

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In Leh, red auroral transmissions were captured on telescopes used by the Indian department of science and technology.

These auroras were all a result of a solar, geomagnetic storm which emerged from a solar flare on October 9 that travelled 1.5 million miles per hour.

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) classified the storm as G4 - which signals severe conditions that could potentially disrupt power grids and satellite operations, reported AP.

Solar activity peaks in cycles of 11 years, reaching their solar maximum once per cycle, which is due in 2025, and the effects of which are likely to be felt till 2026.

That signifies that the earth is in for several more intense solar storms and rare sightings of the auroras.

Though the vibrant display is awe-inspiring, it can cause its fair share of disruptions as well, such as interference with high frequency radio communication, impacts on satellite navigation, power shutdowns etc.