This Saturday morning, when you wake up, you may have the very unpleasant feeling of having missed something… Northern lights with pink, sometimes green hues, were visible throughout France due to an exceptional solar storm.
Will you have a chance to catch up tonight? Perhaps so… Firstly because the geomagnetic storm of never-rare intensity continues to affect the Earth. It is this radiation that causes the Northern Lights. NOAA (American Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has indicated that the impacts on Earth will be marked until Sunday, May 12. But the phenomenon is decreasing.
Look north
So, if you live in the north of France, you will have a better chance of observing the Northern Lights tonight, especially before midnight. The best way to see them is to look north and to be away from the light pollution of cities. The problem is that the weather will be less pleasant tonight: clouds, even rain, are forecast almost everywhere in France.
A tip is also to “watch” the Northern Lights with your cell phone, some of which are equipped with particularly sensitive cameras. You might see the Northern Lights that are a bit mediocre, but it will look good on Instagram…
Electric storm
Finally, if there is a network… The “extreme” solar storm also raises fears of disruptions to the electricity and communications networks. NOAA said “irregularities on the power grid and degradation of high-frequency communications and GPS” had been reported overnight from Friday to Saturday. China’s National Space Weather Center also issued a red alert on Saturday, warning that the solar storm is expected to impact communications and navigation systems,
The Sun is currently close to its peak activity, according to a cycle that returns every 11 years.