Spectacular Northern Lights will be visible from Spain this week
Another round of this mesmerising celestial show will be visible across Spain from June 6
Late last month, stargazers across Spain were left spellbound when the night sky lit up with shimmering curtains of purple and pink hues, a phenomenon caused by the Northern Lights which are usually only visible at much higher latitudes like the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
Also known as Aurora Borealis, this spectacle is going to produce another wave of stunning lights this month, according to British astrophysicist Ryan French, who has predicted that Spain will be treated to another cosmic display from Thursday June 6.
This is thanks to the phase of the new moon, French explained; because it won’t be particularly bright, it will result in an almost pitch black sky – perfect viewing conditions for the Northern Lights.
But why are the Lights visible at such low latitudes that they can be seen from Spain? Well, according to the astrophysicist’s social media, a large filament of plasma remains suspended around the Sun and “seems increasingly unstable”. For this reason, “probably during the next few days there will be an eruption of (at least part) of this plasma, directed towards the Earth.
The large filament of plasma suspended across the Sun is looking increasingly unstable. An Earth-directed eruption of (at least some of) this plasma could be likely in the coming days! #spaceweather pic.twitter.com/DND3yhaADL
— Dr. Ryan French (@RyanJFrench) June 3, 2024
It’s the interaction between the charged particles from that solar eruption and the upper layers of the atmosphere that produces this spectacle that illuminates the night sky and is usually reserved for countries such as Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Russia's Siberian region.
Although the best time to view the Northern Lights from mainland Spain will be this Thursday, remnants of the Lights could remain for several days afterwards.
In May, social media was flooded with photos of the dramatically coloured sky and, while the spectacle in Spain perhaps wasn’t quite as impressive as the displays seen in the Arctic, it’s certainly a sight not to be missed.
In other news: Spain tourism booms thanks to British and German spending
Image: AVAMET
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