Spectacular northern lights observed in France

Northern lights were observed in several locations across a large part of southern France on Sunday evening, as well as in Europe, from Slovakia to Ukraine.

Northern lights illuminate the sky over Hornbaek Beach in Sealand, Denmark on 27 February, 2023. In the Far North, countries can record up to several hundred aurora borealis per year. (Illustration photo) © AFP - Mads Claus Rasmussen

Many observers described pink streaks in the sky and some of them even took photos of the atmospheric light phenomenon, notably in the Alpes-Maritimes, the Alps and in central France.

2 clichés des aurores boréales de ce soir, ici au nord de Clermont-Ferrand.
Un rêve.#aurore #Auroraborealis #auroresboreales #Auvergne pic.twitter.com/JgflTyR52R

— Alexis Linant 🧙 (@AlexisLinant63) November 5, 2023

The northern lights were also observed in northern France in February and April.

Solar flares

This phenomenon can be explained by "the arrival [last night] of a wave of solar particles", causing a "geomagnetic storm", according to Pierre Henriquet, who popularises science on X. 

An aurora borealis appears when jets of hot, magnetic particles generated by solar flares reach the Earth's environment.

"These charged particles will excite the particles in the atmosphere, in particular oxygen and nitrogen, which will give the green and pink colours respectively" of an aurora borealis, Éric Lagadec, an astronomer at the Côte d'Azur Observatory, explained to French news agency AFP.

Nombreux reports d'observations #AuroresBoréales sur notre département mais aussi partout en #Europe Belle prise depuis l'#Observatoire de la #CoteDazurFrance à Caussols dans les #AlpesMaritimes
Photo Cyril Astro #Meteo06 pic.twitter.com/hJ5WgMJ2bT

— Nice Météo 06 (@NiceMeteo06) November 5, 2023

[Aurores boréales ce dimanche soir]

Ce dimanche soir, de sublimes #auroresboreales 😍 ont été observées sur une grande partie de la France, dont notre @RCValdeLoire, depuis le Sud du @departement_18, près de Charenton.

Ces aurores boréales sont rarement observées à de si… pic.twitter.com/2l7bBnkg3u

— Association Météo Centre (@AssoMeteoCentre) November 6, 2023

Aurora borealis are rarer at lower latitudes, such as France, where they can be observed every ten years or so, provided the solar flare is strong enough and pointing in the right direction. 

Usually, this spectacle is observed within the Arctic circle, particularly in the Far North where countries can record up to several hundred per year.

(with newswires)