Aurora seen over Ladakh's Hanle as intense solar storm hits Earth

A spectacular display of the aurora borealis and aurora australis has captivated the world as an intense solar storm hit Earth, painting the night skies with vibrant colours.

The phenomenon was witnessed in various parts of the globe, including the Dark Sky Reserve in Ladakh's Hanle, where an auroral red arc emerged.

These are a rare atmospheric phenomenon that appears as a band of reddish light seen in the sky. Unlike traditional auroras that display a variety of colours in dynamic patterns, the auroral arcs have a fixed colour and remain static. These arcs are a unique occurrence witnessed during potent geomagnetic storms.

An aurora is a natural light display that occurs in the Earth's sky, primarily visible in high-latitude regions around the Arctic and Antarctic. It is caused by disturbances in the magnetosphere, which are triggered by the solar wind.

In Ladakh, the usually remote region of Hanle was treated to a breathtaking sight as the aurora borealis danced across the sky.

Russia, Australia, and Germany also witnessed the rare phenomenon as charged particles from the sun interacted with the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere.

In Russia, the aurora borealis illuminated the night sky with its characteristic shimmering curtains, while in Germany, the aurora borealis was visible in the northern regions, casting an otherworldly glow over the landscape.

Meanwhile, in Australia, the aurora australis, also known as the southern lights, put on a spectacular show, with vibrant red and purple hues illuminating the night sky. The display was particularly vivid in Tasmania, where photographers captured stunning images of the aurora australis dancing across the sky.

The intense solar storm responsible for the spectacular display was caused by a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun, which released a massive amount of energy into space. This energy, in the form of charged particles, interacted with the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, producing the spectacular light displays.

Five Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), the biggest eruptions on the Sun, have pushed a big mass of plasma and materials through the solar system, are expected to pass by Earth over the Weekend.

Scientists are observing the developments as sunspot AR3664 grows wider and rivals the Carrington sunspot that was last seen in the 1800s. The sunspot is home to all five coronal mass ejections en route to Earth. A coronagraph movie captured by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory shows the mega eruptions leaving the star.