Aurora over Děčín this May. | Video: Diary/Jitka Vepřovská
The first wave of plasma clouds is due to arrive today, but during the day. However, according to Horálek, geomagnetic activity can last until the night. In addition, other eruptions appear on the Sun. “It is not excluded that the increased geomagnetic activity will extend into the next few days,” the astronomer pointed out. But he pointed out that predicting these phenomena is difficult.
According to Horálek, the situation is similar to that in May, when a series of eruptions caused clear Aurora in many places in the world, including the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This time, however, the eruptions are weaker. “At the moment, scientists do not expect that the current activity of the Sun will cause the same intense phenomena, but there are still chances for phenomena. In addition, in the following days, the moon recedes from the night sky, which often outshines the phenomenon with its light, so the conditions are favorable,” he said.
Plasma clouds from the Sun always reach the Earth in two to three days, so it is not possible to make a forecast for a longer period of time. For those interested in observing the aurora, the astronomer recommends watching so-called auroral monitors, for example on websites www.solarham.com or www.spaceweatherlive.comor via a mobile application Aurora Alerts.
| Video: Youtube
People can mistake the aurora borealis for aurora borealis
Aurora are among the most beautiful natural phenomena in the sky. They are quite common in the polar regions, where they are visible all over the sky. In the Czech Republic, on the other hand, they are usually very weak. Inexperienced observers may mistake them for light pollution or robins. “Whether it is really the aurora can be checked very easily on a mobile phone. If you take a picture of it, your mobile phone will show you the color much better than what is visible to the naked eye. Sometimes the so-called colored columns can be seen in the photo, which also proves that it is the aurora borealis,” Jakub Rozehnal, director of the Planetum organization protecting the Prague planetarium and observatory, told ČTK earlier.
Those interested in observing the phenomenon should find a place with an unobstructed view to the north. At the same time, it should be an area where the observation will not be disturbed by light pollution. In the direction to the north, therefore, no major city can be located within tens of kilometers.
