Last weekend's stunning display of the northern lights illuminated our skies and captured the attention of photographers across the region. Enjoy these spectacular images showcasing the ethereal beauty of nature's light show!

Have you ever wondered how the Earth's magnetic field interacts with solar storms to produce the mesmerising northern lights? According to the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, our planet's magnetic field and atmosphere play a crucial role in protecting us from these celestial events. When a plasma cloud from a solar storm collides with Earth's magnetic field, it causes a distortion that generates electrical voltages in the atmosphere.

As a result, electrically charged particles are accelerated within the magnetosphere, the region influenced by Earth's magnetic field, and travel deeper into the atmosphere. They interact with denser atmospheric gases, causing them to glow like fluorescent tubes. This phenomenon, known as the aurora borealis or northern lights, is typically observed in polar regions. However, these dazzling lights can become visible even at our latitudes during intense solar storms, such as the strongest one since 2003.


The night between Friday, 10 May, and Saturday, Niklaus Eschler from Zweisimmen captured this spectacular moment.
 

This impressive natural phenomenon has inspired many of our readers to capture breathtaking images of the northern lights. If you, like me, missed out, enjoy!

Based on AvS | KMA | Jeanette Wichmann