Why Northern Lights Were Spotted in Belgium and Elsewhere Around the World

An aurora borealis lights up the sky in Aarlanderveen, the Netherlands. ©EPA

An "extreme" solar storm began hitting Earth on Friday night, generating impressive Northern Lights, a phenomenon visible even in Belgium. On Friday evening, Northern Lights were visible in the Belgian sky, as evidenced by numerous photos of red and green halos shared on social media.

The cause? A solar storm of rare intensity, the first of this level since 2003, is heading towards Earth, resulting in Northern Lights, even in regions where they are not usual, like Belgium. This rare phenomenon was observed in other European countries on Friday night to Saturday. Photos of illuminated night skies were shared by delighted spectators in Germany, the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, and the UK.

Peak Activity
While this event has generated stunning images on social media, authorities also fear disruptions to power and communication networks. Conditions related to a geomagnetic storm of level 5, the maximum level on the scale used, were observed on Friday night, announced the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). "GPS, power grids, spacecraft, satellite navigation, and other technologies may be affected," the agency added.

This storm is caused by the arrival on Earth of a series of coronal mass ejections from the Sun. These are "explosions of energetic particles and magnetic fields emanating from the sun," explained Shawn Dahl of the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) during a press conference on Friday afternoon.

The last event reaching this level 5 occurred in October 2003, an episode nicknamed "the Halloween storms," the agency wrote. At the time, power outages occurred in Sweden, and transformers were damaged in South Africa, it noted.

The storm is expected to continue over the weekend with the arrival of additional coronal mass ejections, NOAA added. The first of these ejections, "very strong," reached Earth on Friday around 6:30 p.m. Belgian time. The Sun is currently near its peak of activity, following a cycle that repeats every 11 years.

These coronal mass ejections — at least seven directed towards Earth have been observed — originate from a sunspot about 17 times the diameter of Earth. They travel at several hundred kilometers per second.In addition to possible disruptions, these significant solar storms generate impressive Northern Lights, sometimes much further south than in regions where they are usually observable. Photos taken in Europe have started circulating, such as those taken in London.

Satellite, communication, and power grid operators in North America have been notified to take precautionary measures, said Shawn Dahl. He recommended that residents equip themselves with batteries or potentially generators, as with any other storm warning.However, power grid operators have worked over the past decade to better protect their networks, reassured Rob Steenburgh, a scientist at the SWPC. The effects will only occur on high-voltage lines, not for individuals, and systems similar to circuit breakers exist.He also indicated that his agency was in very regular contact with NASA, which ensures the safety of astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), who are more vulnerable to solar radiation.

Gift of Space :
Weather This type of storm primarily affects latitudes around the poles, explained Mathew Owens, a professor of space physics at the University of Reading. But "the stronger the storm, the further it goes in terms of latitude," he added.In the Southern Hemisphere, countries like Australia or New Zealand closely monitor such situations, explained Shawn Dahl. In the United States, Northern Lights should be observable in most of the northern half of the country, according to NOAA, and possibly as far south as Alabama or northern California."If you're in a place where it's dark, cloudless, and with little light pollution, you might see some quite impressive Northern Lights," said Rob Steenburgh. "It's really the gift of space weather."The most significant solar storm ever recorded occurred in 1859, according to NASA. Also known as the Carrington Event, it severely disrupted telegraph communications.

Northern lights light up the night sky above the mountains of Château-d’Œx, Switzerland. ©EPA

An aurora borealis above the National Monument of Scotland in Edinburgh. ©AFP

Northern lights light up the sky over the town of Tara in southwest Siberia. ©REUTERS