CNN Indonesia
Monday, 11 Dec 2023 19:30 IWST
Illustration of the Aurora Borealis appearance. (Don Moore Twitter @capture907/via REUTERS)
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
On Friday (1/12) evening, surprisingly many residents on the outskirts of Beijing watched Aurora borealis. This is the second time that the Chinese capital, located at 40 degrees north latitude, has seen the aurora borealis.
Auroral displays can be seen in many highland areas China, including Heilongjiang in Northeast China and Inner Mongolia in North China. According to photos taken by astronomy lovers, the night sky becomes bright with red light.
However, what surprised many people most was that the aurora was also visible in Beijing, a region at a lower latitude. Observers in the suburbs of Beijing, Huairou and Mentougou Districts reported the appearance of auroras.
The appearance of the aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is better known as occurring in Iceland. This light occurs due to a coalition between electrically charged particles reflected from the sun and natural gas particles in the earth’s atmosphere.
As quoted Global Times, for a phenomenon that occurred in China, according to the China National Geographic Channel, this was the second aurora sighting recorded in Beijing’s history. The last time an aurora appeared in Beijing was 20 years ago in 2003.
The China Weather Network, a website operated by the China Meteorological Administration, said on Friday that the appearance of the aurora in Beijing was “very lucky”.
The China Meteorological Administration said the appearance of the aurora on this occasion was caused by geomagnetic storm activity.
Although auroras are generally seen in high latitudes, the range of aurora events can expand if geomagnetic storms are very strong. According to records, during severe geomagnetic storms, auroras can even be seen in the equatorial region.
Therefore, according to researchers at the Beijing Zhu Jin Planetarium, it is very possible to see the aurora in Beijing which is located at a latitude of 40 degrees, as reported by Red Star News on Friday (1/12).
On Thursday (30/11), the National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center of the China Meteorological Administration issued a geomagnetic storm warning, and predicted possible geomagnetic storm activity from Thursday (30/11) to Saturday (2/12).
It is estimated that on Friday (1/12), a moderate to severe geomagnetic storm, or even a severe geomagnetic storm, occurred, with geomagnetic activity expected to continue until Saturday (2/12).
Zhu noted that geomagnetic storms can impact shortwave communications, but because of their relatively short duration, their impact on the human body is minimal and negligible.
(wow)
Watch the Video Below:
2023-12-11 12:30:10
#Iceland #rare #phenomenon #Aurora #Borealis #appears #China
