The Northern Lights are a fleeting atmospheric phenomenon and watching them is always so magical… especially when we have the chance and luck to observe one in our region!
Photo Valérie Thévenot
So on Saturday, November 18th, an aurora appeared about forty kilometers south of Orléans. A rare and unique phenomenon for our national territory, but common in this year 2023. Several northern lights have been observed in France (Auvergne, South Berry, Var, Côte d’Or, Alps, etc.). A spectacle made possible by the current intense activity of the sun. Every 11 years, this star enters a new cycle of activity determined by sunspots. The 25th cycle began in 2020 and will increase in intensity until 2025.
The phenomenon of the Northern Lights (in the north) and the Southern Lights (in the south) is explained by the intense stream of particles emitted by the sun during solar eclipses. These particles, projected at colossal speeds and up to 8 million kilometers away, feed the solar wind, which in turn is controlled by the Earth’s magnetic field. This extraordinary presence in our latitudes has nothing to do with the global warming of our dear Blue Planet, since the atmospheric layers animated by the Northern and Southern Lights are much higher than those affected by terrestrial climate change.
Categories: Briefs | Tags: Aurora Borealis, climate change, Loiret
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