Watch Video Aurora from Ladakh capture by IIA Sun CME Solar Flare

Recently, a geomagnetic storm affected the Earth due to Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) in the Sun. The storm hit the Earth at around 10 pm on April 23, the impact of which was seen all over the world including India. Due to the storm, Aurora also shone in the sky of Ladakh. The video of this entire incident has surfaced. While sharing the video on Twitter, Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) has said that Aurora was captured in 360 degree camera on the night of 22-23 April.

IIA’s tweet reads that this is a time-lapse of the sky, taken by a 360 degree camera on the night of 22/23 April. In the video, an aurora can be seen shining due to an intense geomagnetic storm hitting the Earth. IAA has described it as a rare incident.

Aurora is a beautiful natural light that appears in the sky. It is usually seen near the North and South Poles at night. Scientists have long believed that auroras form when solar winds interact with Earth’s magnetic field.

#Aurora from #Ladakh,
This is a time-lapse of the sky taken by a 360 deg camera at from #Hanle on 22/23 April night. You can see the aurora lights due to an intense geomagnetic storm that hit the Earth. It is extremely rare to see aurora at such a low latitude! @dstindia (1/n) pic.twitter.com/gGbrw86vsb

— IIAstrophysics (@IIABengaluru) April 29, 2023

IIA’s tweet quoted Professor Vagesh Mishra as saying that the CME that emanated from the Sun was related to an M1 category solar flare. On April 21, that CME was launched from the Sun towards Earth. CMEs produce enough activity to cause auroras on Earth. Apart from India, Aurora was also seen in Europe and China. Professor Mishra says that such a severe geomagnetic storm last occurred in 2015.

What is Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)?

Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are large clouds of solar plasma. After a solar explosion, these clouds spread in space in the Sun’s magnetic field. Due to their rotation in space, they expand and often reach a distance of several lakhs of miles. Many times they collide with the magnetic fields of the planets. When their direction is towards the Earth, they can cause geomagnetic disturbances. Due to these, short circuits may occur in satellites and the power grid may be affected. If their impact is severe, they can also put astronauts in Earth’s orbit in danger.