For the first time, the aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, graced the skies across a broad expanse of Bulgaria on Sunday evening. Pictures and videos of the stunning display quickly went viral on social media.
The shifting red aurora first appeared in the northeastern part of Bulgaria, before spreading to almost all corners of the Balkan country, reported Meteo Balkans.
Some people on social media platforms described the pictures of the blood-red sky in Bulgaria as “apocalyptic” and “spooky”. Others expressed their excitement at getting to experience this mesmerizing phenomenon
According to reports, the northern lights were also spotted in Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. There are also photos from Poland and Slovakia. Dazzling green and red auroras were also witnessed in the United Kingdom on Saturday night.
Earlier this year, the aurora borealis was seen for the very first time in India. The rare phenomenon was captured in Ladakh, thrilling scientists and skygazers alike.
The aurora borealis has fascinated humanity for centuries and typically appears during geomagnetic storms. These celestial wonders are a result of disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field, leading to hours of luminous auroras both at high and low latitudes.
While the northern lights are most commonly observed near Earth’s magnetic north and south poles, where they are referred to as the aurora australis, they can occasionally make their presence known in more temperate regions.
This phenomenon arises from the interaction of solar wind particles originating from the sun, some of which journey millions of miles before reaching Earth. Once they arrive, Earth’s magnetic field guides these particles toward the polar areas.
The unique colors of the auroras depend on the specific gas molecules that these particles encounter in the atmosphere and where these interactions occur. Oxygen emissions create the characteristic green light, while encounters with nitrogen result in a striking red glow illuminating the sky.
Source : India Today
