See the Northern Lights once in your life ? That’s probably on the bucket list of many people. But instead of traveling to the far north to do so, we have some very special news: There’s a chance we could see auroras over Germany today! And right now in winter there are particularly good conditions for this in Munich. We explain whether and how you can discover this unique natural spectacle today.
How auroras are created
A brief excursion into physics: auroras occur when charged particles from the solar wind hit the Earth’s magnetic field, which directs the particles towards the magnetic poles. There they collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere (mostly oxygen and nitrogen), which leads to the emission of light in different colors.
Normally, this spectacle can only be seen at the polar regions. But during extremely strong geomagnetic storms, the aurora expands to such an extent that the lights are also visible at mid-latitudes. And that is exactly the case now.
The current solar storm is so strong that the Northern Lights could also be spotted in Germany. This has already happened a few times this year and is expected to happen even more often. The analyzed data shows a high probability of auroras this night! The next solar storm is due to reach the earth today in the late afternoon and early evening.
How can I see the auroras over Munich?
To see the auroras over the city, you should avoid light-polluted places. Of course, this is easiest outside Munich. But there are also a few suitable places in the city that are also useful for other celestial events. Elevated places or parks on the outskirts of the city are particularly suitable, for example the Olympiaberg in the Olympiapark or the Luitpoldpark. Then look to the north, where the lights should appear. Then all you need is a bit of luck.
Whether the Northern Lights can really be seen over Munich is of course not 100 percent certain. But the probability is high. We probably won’t see the famous green orbits, but something weaker. Due to the great distance, they are usually visible as a faint, reddish glow low on the northern horizon. Either way – you shouldn’t miss this unique event.