Aurora Borealis in Slovakia: When exactly will it come? – iMeteo.sk

Many people are just waiting for the aurora borealis to come. It could also appear in our latitudes tonight. However, the onset of the geomagnetic storm is still waiting. When exactly can aurora borealis appear?

This night will bring two major events. The first is the time shift, when at 3:00 we move the watch back to 2:00 and the winter Central European time starts to apply. However, this night is also specific in that aurora borealis can be observed from several European countries.

Currently, many people are already in the mountains and are waiting to see the aurora borealis at all. But what does the current look with aurora borealis?

A geomagnetic storm will occur

Let’s remember what really happened. On Thursday evening, there was a solar eruption in the Sun, which ejected coronal mass towards our planet.

After a solar flare, it usually takes 2 to 3 days for these high-energy particles of coronal matter to reach our planet. This should happen during the next night when these particles arrive.

Geomagnetic conditions that could cause aurora borealis are expressed by the Kp-index and it is currently at 2. In order to observe aurora borealis from at least some localities in Slovakia, the Kp index must reach a value of at least 7. According to current predictions, could happen between 23:00 and 04:00 our time.

Will there be aurora borealis?

A cloud of plasma from the corona is actually heading towards Earth, which should arrive at night at a speed of about 800 km / s. The first info will be given to us by the ACE satellite, which is located 1.5 million kilometers from Earth towards the Sun.

When a cloud of coronal mass arrives at the satellite, we see a jump in the speed of the solar wind from about 330 km / s to about 800 km / s. We will inform you in this article whether the cloud of coronal mass has arrived.

solar wind speed, source: NOAA

Status as of 21:11: acurrent solar wind speed: 349 km / s – stable trend, coronal mass yet did not arrive

When this event occurs, we have about 30 minutes before the coronal mass reaches our planet and suitable conditions for the occurrence of aurora borealis.

In order to observe the aurora borealis at all, you must be outside places and villages that are polluted by light smog. The most ideal conditions are in the higher localities of northern Slovakia and it is necessary to look low above the northern horizon.

The conditions for observing the aurora borealis will be favorable today. Mostly clear weather is expected in Slovakia, but shortly after midnight the Moon will rise, which will worsen the conditions for monitoring.