In the coming days, the aurora borealis could be seen again in the Czech Republic. The reason is a series of eruptions on the Sun, during which plasma clouds have been released and are also partially directed towards Earth. Astronomer Petr Horálek from the Institute of Physics in Opava told ČTK today. The last time it was possible to observe the rare natural phenomenon in the Czech Republic was this May, when the aurora borealis was the strongest since 2003.
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 noted. 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 bright auroras 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 will retreat from the night sky, which often outshine 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.
The northern lights 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 borealis can be checked very easily on a mobile phone. If you take a picture of it, the mobile phone will show you the color much better than what is visible to the naked eye. Sometimes the so-called color columns can be seen on the photo, which also proves that it’s about 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.
