Northern Lights could be visible from the Canary Islands after powerful solar storm
A powerful solar flare has caused a severe geomagnetic storm that could make the Northern Lights visible from unusually far south, including parts of the Canary Islands. The announcement was made yesterday by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC).
The event happened just after 10:00 am on 11th November, when the Sun released a huge X5-class flare from an active region on its surface. It was followed by two coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are massive clouds of charged particles, heading straight towards Earth. These arrived earlier than expected and caused a G4 geomagnetic storm, one of the highest levels on the scale used by scientists.
“The impact of these ejections is producing auroras that can be seen much farther south than normal and is creating strong disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field,” explained Héctor Socas Navarro, researcher at the IAC and director of the European Solar Telescope Foundation.
He said the most unusual part of the event is the confirmation of a GLE, a Ground Level Enhancement, which happens when extremely energetic solar particles reach the surface of the Earth. This is very rare and only occurs a handful of times in each eleven-year solar cycle.
The combination of the powerful flare and the direct CMEs has created a space-weather event similar to one recorded in December 2006, one of the strongest in recent decades. “Everything suggests this is one of the most significant episodes of the last 20 years,” Socas Navarro added.
Although no major impact on daily life is expected, experts warn that there could be temporary problems with navigation systems, certain radio communications, satellites, and long-haul flights over polar regions.
For scientists, the storm offers a rare opportunity to study how the Sun accelerates these particles and how such events affect Earth’s environment.
Auroras may continue to appear in unusual places over the next few days. “You don’t need to travel to Norway to see auroras at the moment,” Socas Navarro said.
If conditions are right, people in the Canary Islands may be able to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights over the next few nights, but it will require being in the right place at the right time. Experts recommend heading to a dark area away from streetlights, ideally somewhere with a clear view towards the north or north-east, such as a quiet beach, clifftop or rural viewpoint. The best time to look is generally between 10 pm and 2 am, when the sky is at its darkest.
Any auroras seen from the Canaries are likely to appear as a faint glow low on the horizon, rather than the bright displays seen in places like Iceland or Norway. Clear skies, low moonlight and minimal light pollution will improve your chances.
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