In Pics: Auroras Seen In Unlikely Locations Globally 2nd Time This Year

People across time zones, in several parts of the world ranging from London to Ladakh, were mesmerized to catch a glimpse of the rare celestial phenomenon, Aurora Borealis on Thursday. 

For the second time this year, vibrant auroras, which are normally reserved for polar regions, illuminated the skies at latitudes beyond the polar extremes. 

Photo Credit: AFP

Northern lights were spotted over the Baltic Sea close to Kiel, northern Germany, on Thursday night. 

As reported by AFP, the northern lights were triggered by a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun earlier in the week. This event marked a significant geomagnetic storm.

Photo Credit: AFP

The stunning display of colours was also seen in the southern hemisphere. The above picture shows how it looked from over a dairy farm in Lincoln, on the outskirts of the city of Christchurch in New Zealand. 

Photo Credit: AFP

Haraldsted Lake near Ringsted, Denmark was also there among the regions where the northern lights were seen.  

Photo Credit: Indian Institute of Astrophysics and Bhabha Atomic Research Center

In Ladakh's Hanle and Leh, the aurora-lit skies were captured on camera by scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru and the Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Mumbai stationed there.

A statement issued by the Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), said "For an extraordinary fourth time during the current solar cycle, intense red-coloured Auroral activity was seen from Ladakh, India, and was photographed by astronomers of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) from Hanle, Leh, and Merak on the night of 10-11 October  2024." 

Photo Credit: AFP

The CME that caused this spectacle was particularly potent, having erupted from a section of the Sun aimed directly at Earth. Juha-Pekka Luntama, head of the European Space Agency's Space Weather Office, described it as a "perfect hit."  

Skies across Fish Creek, south of Melbourne,  in Australia, were also lit up in this vibrant display of colours which is typically referred to as Aurora Australis, or the Southern Lights, in the southern hemisphere. 

Photo Credit: AFP

The geomagnetic storm that produced these lights also had their influence seen in Washington DC. The US Space Weather Prediction Center warned that ongoing severe weather conditions linked to hurricanes Helene and Milton could exacerbate disruptions to emergency services. 

As solar activity approaches its peak in an 11-year cycle, these storms pose risks to satellites, GPS systems, and power grids. Looking ahead, there may be additional opportunities to witness auroras in the coming years as solar activity continues to rise.