As of: May 13, 2024 8:35 a.m
A solar storm caused northern lights to appear over Lower Saxony at the weekend. According to astronomers, it is the first extreme solar storm in more than 20 years.
The natural phenomenon could be seen with the naked eye in many places in Germany, especially on Saturday night. The further north you are, the greater the chance of seeing them, said Carolin Liefke from the Haus der Astronomie in Heidelberg on Friday. Numerous users shared pictures of the spectacular natural spectacle in online networks.
The last extreme solar storm was in 2003
The cause of the northern lights is an extreme solar storm of level 5. According to experts from the US weather agency NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), this highest category was last reached in October 2003. The source region of the solar storms – a large sunspot cluster – is about 16 times the diameter of the Earth, according to NOAA experts.
Videos
1 Min
The natural spectacle was particularly easy to observe near Harpstedt (Oldenburg district). (03/07/2024) 1 min
Solar storm can affect technologies
The solar storm could affect GPS, power grids, spacecraft, satellite navigation and other technologies, NOAA said. Authorities notified satellite and power grid operators as well as airlines to take precautions against possible disruptions.
Further information
In the past few nights, northern lights have made the sky over Schleswig-Holstein shine in the most dazzling colors. more
The natural phenomenon could also be seen over large parts of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday night. more
The northern lights only become really beautiful with longer exposure times. Andreas Lüdtke draws a parallel with people. (03/19/2024) more
> selected the most beautiful recordings from all the submissions. Image gallery
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NDR 1 Lower Saxony | Current | May 11, 2024 | 12:00 o’clock