Northern lights over Germany: A heavenly spectacle awaits!

Northern lights over Germany: A heavenly spectacle awaits!

Fascinating northern lights could be seen over Germany in the coming nights, caused by geomagnetic storms triggered by solar activity. However, according to Sami Solanki, director at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, there is no guarantee that this spectacle will actually be observed.

Solanki lamented that it is difficult to predict how intense solar activity will be and whether the necessary conditions will be met. A coronal mass ejection, a huge cloud of solar plasma, is expected to hit Earth in the early hours of Saturday. A second ejection is expected in the evening, increasing the chances of a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

Aurora viewing tips

If you don't want to miss the Northern Lights, you should keep a few important points in mind:

• Die beste Sicht gibt es bei Dunkelheit und klarem Himmel. Es sollte außerdem etwa 70 Stunden vor der Beobachtung eine starke Sonneneruption gegeben haben.
• Um die besten Chancen zu haben, sollten sich Interessierte abseits von Städten und künstlichem Licht positionieren, mit Blickrichtung auf den Norden.
• Es ist ratsam, mindestens 10 bis 15 Minuten in die Dunkelheit zu schauen, damit sich die Augen anpassen können, bevor man die Farben der Nordlichter richtig wahrnimmt.

Last but not least, photographers can also benefit from some advice: the flash should be turned off and it makes sense to familiarize yourself with the camera in advance in order to set the best settings.

Photographers should pay attention to the correct light sensitivity, at least 1000 ISO, and an exposure time of at least six seconds. A tripod is helpful, but can be replaced with solid support such as tree trunks if a tripod is not available.

Scientific assessments and predictions

The US weather agency NOAA has issued category G3 storm warnings. The northern lights seen in May were caused by a storm of the highest level, G5. Solanki points out that mass ejections from the sun are difficult to make precise predictions about. Reliable information about the intensity and speed of the plasma particles can only be obtained when they are already close to the Earth, precisely about half an hour before their arrival.

However, the Max Planck Institute continues research to enable more precise predictions. The European Space Agency (ESA) is working on a probe that will continuously observe solar activity from a side perspective.

For further information on this exciting topic, those interested can access the current report at www.zdf.de fall back.