Ladakh Dazzled By Northern Lights
AYAAN PAUL CHOWDHURY
A rare phenomenon
The Indian Astronomical Observatory above Mt Saraswati witnessed a rare phenomenon when a geomagnetic storm hit Earth's magnetic field, producing unique auroras.
An unexpected visit
The auroras are usually visible at higher altitudes in areas like Alaska, Norway, and other Scandinavian countries, and Russia.
a first for india
This was the first time that the Indian Astronomical Observatory captured the aurora on camera in India.
360-degree camera
The 360-degree camera atop the IAO in Ladakh Hanle captured the mysterious phenomenon caused by plasma particles from the Sun and Earth's magnetic field.
Cause
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics confirmed that the auroras were due to an intense geomagnetic storm that hit the Earth, which is extremely rare at such low latitudes.
The time-lapse
The IIA Bengaluru observatory captured the phenomenon and shared a time-lapse video of the night sky on their Twitter account.
Ladakh aurora
Ejection from the Sun
The aurora was observed on the night of April 22-23, following a coronal mass ejection from the Sun on April 21.
High-speed entry
The CME hit Earth at a speed of 21,60,000 kilometers per hour, according to the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
Scarce sightings
The geoeffective CME led to an excellent night for auroral activity, resulting in rare sightings from Europe, China, and Ladakh in India.
The last occurrence
Such a severe geomagnetic storm last occurred in 2015.