A spectacular Northern Lights illuminated the Italian skies on the night between Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th November. The darkness gave way to red, green and purple tones, in an evocative show capable of enchanting every enthusiast, which was visible in different areas, from the Alps to Sardinia, up to the southern regions.
The spectacle of the Northern Lights over Italy
The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon of solar origin. It happens when charged particles from the Sun reach the Earth and interact with the Earth’s magnetic field and molecules in the atmosphere.
This encounter generates colored lights that dance in the sky, visible especially in regions close to the North Pole. During the night, many areas, from the plains to the mountain peaks, were illuminated by luminous trails and iridescent reflections that usually belong to the skies of Northern Europe. And it doesn’t end here: the phenomenon could happen again tonight.
Waiting for the “encore”
At the origin of the phenomenon we witnessed between November 11th and 12th is the most intense solar storm of the year. As explained by the NOAA Space Meteorology Center, between 7 and 9 November an X5.1 class solar flare was recorded, among the most powerful of the current cycle, with the category 4 geomagnetic storm which then reached the Earth. This extremely intense disturbance of the magnetic field surrounding our planet, in addition to the aurora show, could have repercussions on operation of radio, satellite and electrical systems technologies.
According to experts, the solar activity of these days could continue to produce effects in the next few hours, albeit with less intensity. So keep your eyes on the sky, especially after sunset and with your gaze turned towards the North, hoping that the sky will grant us an “encore”.