The sky is on fire. Between May 10 and 13, the sky is adorned with splendid colors in France and the rest of the world. The reason ? A magnetic storm caused by solar activity of exceptional intensity which affects the earth and causes these polar auroras (boreal in the north, austral in the south). These are visible in areas where these phenomena are very rare, such as in France. Discover below a slideshow with some of the most impressive photos of these auroras, taken by amateur and professional photographers.
The collision between micro-particles and gases found in the earth’s upper atmosphere explains the appearance of these colors, explains the Canadian Space Agency. The different colors depend on the composition of the gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, the altitude at which the auroras form, the density of the atmosphere and “the quantity of energy involved”, further indicates the space agency.
This super solar storm at the origin of the diffusion of the phenomenon in more northern regions such as France is the first to reach such intensity since the beginning of the 2000s, indicated NASA on X (ex Twitter).
To have a chance of observing one of these celestial apparitions, it is better to be located in an area free of light pollution, as recommended by an astrophysicist from the Observatoire de la Côté d’Azur, cited by Ouest-France. The phenomenon should be monitored from the start of the night. Of course, if the cloud cover is significant, it will not be possible to observe the auroras.
Usually, in the northern hemisphere, you have to go close to the polar circle – for example in the Scandinavian countries in Europe to have the chance to admire these glows.