– Very strong northern lights are forecast. That’s what space scientist Pål Brekke at the Norwegian Space Center says. According to the Meteorological Institute, a KP index of 7 has been reported. – This normally means that you will be able to see the northern lights in Germany and Denmark as well. Illustration: Brekke / Storm.no But why is the sky lit up at the weekend? Brekke says that there has been a powerful explosion on the sun which has created a solar storm. – The storm has sent a large gas cloud towards the Earth’s magnetic field. Based on satellite images, it is possible to estimate approximately when it will arrive on Earth. – People must be patient. Even if the KP index is 7, it does not mean that there are northern lights all night. There will be a couple of strong eruptions during the night and they often last maybe only half an hour. Photo: Halldor Asvall / news According to Brekke, the storm will hit the ground on the night of Saturday. But in order for us to see the northern lights, things must work: – The solar storm’s magnetic field must be opposite to the Earth’s magnetic field. If that happens, you get a strong connection and what you warn of as strong northern lights. Photo: Linda Bjørgan / news However, we do not know the direction of the magnetic field until an hour before the storm hits. At the same time as the magnetic fields must be opposite each other, there must be clear weather. Best in Northern Norway and the Oslo Fjord Who gets to see the northern lights dance in the sky, on-duty meteorologist Sigrid Auganes has the answer. – There is a large field of clouds, which gives a lot of precipitation in Møre and Romsdal and Trøndelag, which casts a shadow over large parts of southern Norway. But also a bit up in Nordland up to Mo i Rana. North of Mo i Rana there are showers from the north, which means that there is a greater chance of seeing the northern lights. Auganes explains that there will be particularly good conditions in Bodø as there is an easterly wind that can chase the clouds away. Photo: Meteorological Institute – Simply because you get a break between the clouds. The salt looks very promising for those who want to stand outside for a long time and see. – Inner Troms also looks promising, at least a little early in the evening. In Lofoten and Vesterålen, however, things look a little worse. – It looks like there will be a small hole in the cloud cover around the Oslofjord. It may look as if the conditions may be favorable in some places in Østfold. There is also slightly less cloud cover in Buskerud, Vestfold and Telemark. A period of high activity Northern lights activity has been high this autumn, and there were also good conditions several times in September. According to researcher at Tromsø Geophysical Observatory Njål Gulbrandsen, the sun is in a period of high activity that can give us light shows during the “dark time” Researcher at Tromsø Geophysical Observatory Njål Gulbrandsen. Photo: UiT The sun goes through a cycle of around eleven years, from being almost completely without sunspots to increasing and increasing activity. – We are close to the top of such a cycle. The large eruptions on the sun tend to occur when there is a lot of solar activity, as has been the case in recent years. We are in a period of much activity. Published 04.10.2024, at 17.07 Updated 04.10.2024, at 17.07
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Explosion on the sun causes northern lights throughout the country – news Nordland
