The sun does not stop surprising with its activity this week. The solar winds, with a speed of about 500-800 km per second, bring the plasma particles to the Earth, thus forming a geomagnetic storm.
The Northern Lights occur when the Earth’s magnetic field is slightly compressed by waves of highly energetic particles during a geomagnetic storm. These particles slide along magnetic field lines near the poles and disrupt atmospheric molecules, releasing energy in the form of light and creating colorful auroras.
During the night from Thursday to Friday, the Northern Lights were so strong that they were visible in western Lithuania, and eventually they could also be seen in the vicinity of Vilnius. Netizens were quick to share the impressive shots.
“When there are solar storms, there is an opportunity to see such a phenomenon in the sky of Lithuania. It is usually seen near the horizon of the northern sky. The backlight is not very bright and you have to shoot with shutter speed. However, in Lithuania, due to the latitude of our country, the bright Northern Lights are a rare phenomenon and a very sought-after shot by photographers”, – previously 15 minutes was told by Gytis Valaika, chief specialist of the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service’s communication and international cooperation department.
Although significantly lower, there is a chance to see the aurora tonight, March 25. from midnight and 6 a.m. The greatest chance of seeing it will be in northern Lithuania, and the further you go to the southeast, the less likely it is.
It is best to observe the aurora in a dark area away from light sources and not covered by trees.
It is predicted that the activity of the Sun will increase continuously in the next few years and in 2025. will reach a maximum and then decrease again.
Last week, the boiling plasma rose high above the surface of the Sun for three days, and on March 18. reached an altitude of approximately 120,000 km. However, when the heat and plasma-filled tornado disintegrated, the ejected material did not reach our planet.
