Status: 10/30/2021 10:19 a.m.
Because of a strong eruption on the sun, people in Germany could see a rare phenomenon: the northern lights. However, the play of colors in the sky could also have negative consequences.
Northern lights could be seen over Germany in the coming days. The reason for this is a strong solar flare on Thursday, as NASA and the US weather agency NOAA announced.
Solar flares are sudden bursts of radiation on our central star, with which large quantities of high-energy particles are often thrown into space. If such a solar storm hits the earth, it can lead to auroras.
These could also be seen unusually in Central Europe and America, because the high-energy particles can make certain atoms in the earth’s atmosphere glow. In order to be able to see the phenomenon, however, the weather would also have to play along and at least allow a view of the sky at times.
the Thursday eruption was classified in the strongest class “X”, but only given the lowest level “1”. According to NASA, an eruption with the strength X2 is twice as strong as the one that has now occurred – only from X10, i.e. ten times the strength, does the US space agency speak of an “unusually intense” eruption.
Disturbance of GPS and communication signals possible
The energy sent out by the event could also have negative consequences. The radiation could not harm humans, but “if it is intense enough it can disturb the atmosphere in the layer in which GPS and communication signals are transmitted,” said NASA. If the solar storm hits the earth, it could have serious consequences for satellites, communication and energy supply systems.