!The Northern Lights lit up the skies of France this weekend
On the evening of April 23 to 24, aurora borealis lit up the sky in France in many regions. This rare phenomenon happens more and more in France.
In Alsace, Toulouse and Brittany, from 10 p.m. on the evening of April 23, the aurora borealis amazed people who raised their heads to the sky with a spectacle of colors ranging from green to pink. Here is an anthology of videos and images broadcast on social networks this weekend, in particular the video of astrophotographer Louis Leroux .
?More and more frequent aurora borealis in France
The Sun, in addition to sending us light, continuously sends particles charged with electricity (mainly protons and electrons). This flow of particles called "solar wind" is very variable over time. During solar flares, when the sun suddenly emits a very large flux of particles, this wind becomes more intense.
These particles, in addition to producing magnificent auroras, can disrupt our technologies, electrical networks, satellites, GNSS, communications, etc.
The aurora borealis or australis normally occur in the polar, arctic or antarctic circle, because this is where the earth's magnetic field is vertical. But currently, the Sun is entering the most active period of its cycle, which lasts 11 years. The next peak is predicted for 2025, which is why, the “Valkyries” ancient Viking name for the Northern Lights, are more likely to appear in more southern regions than usual.
So will we see others soon in our latitudes? It's not impossible, as the Sun, which has an 11-year activity cycle, is entering an active period, and could produce other major flares in the coming months. But the Sun seems for this cycle, to take a little advance.
Which explains why we saw the aurora borealis in February in France but also in the last few days and who knows the next one could arrive within two months!
Source : websites