NASA Selects Photograph of Aurora Borealis Over Cáceres, Spain as Image of the Day

If you are one of those who think that in order to enjoy the magnificent natural phenomenon of the northern lights it is necessary to pack your bags and fly to Greenland, Finland, Canada or any other point near the North Pole, you should know that you are wrong. NASA has made it more than clear this Tuesday, April 25, 2024.

And it is that, although for many it seems unthinkable and it is a fairly rare phenomenon in our country, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States Government, better known as NASA, has selected a photograph of the Spanish Lorenzo Cordero as his ‘Image of the Day’ in which you can see, nothing more and nothing less, than an aurora borealis over the sky of Cáceres (Spain).

“Have you seen any auroras in the last two nights? Many people who don’t live in the far north of the Earth have. Reports of auroras have come not only from places in the northern United States like Alaska, but also from the south to Texas and Arizona. A huge auroral oval also extended over Europe and Asia”, have indicated from NASA itself to explain the presence of the phenomenon that Lorenzo captured over the lands of Extremadura.

“In the photo, an iimpressive red aurora was captured last night near the city of Cáceres in the center of Spain. Auroras were also reported in parts of southern Spain,” they have also explained from the agency.

More Northern Lights could be seen soon

NASA scientists have explained that the generation of an aurora borealis in the peninsular sky has been the result of what is known as a coronal mass ejection -or CME for its acronym in English-, a wave made of radiation and solar wind that detached from the star only a few days ago.

As they have detailed, the coronal mass particles crossed the inner Solar System before colliding with the Earth’s magnetosphere. From there, the electrons and protons spiraled down Earth’s northern magnetic field lines and collided with oxygen and nitrogen in Earth’s atmosphere, causing picturesque glows known as the aurora borealis.

“Our unusually active Sun may provide future opportunities to view the Northern Lights in the southern skies”, has assured the team of astronomers from NASA, thus leaving the door open so that, both from Cáceres and from the rest of the southernmost points of the Iberian Peninsula, one can return to enjoy this unusual phenomenon in the coming nights. Of course, as with any other astronomical phenomenon, to be able to enjoy it, you will have to look for high points and away from light pollution, just what Lorenzo did to capture the photo on which all science lovers have clothes eyes today.