Surprising and impressive: impressive auroras once again took place in the sky over Berlin and parts of Germany on Friday night. The light spectacle in the sky above the capital can also be marveled at in the coming days! Thanks to increased solar activity, the sky has occasionally shone in colorful veils in recent months – especially last spring – and now it was time again. The rare spectacle, which is normally reserved for the polar regions of the planet, was particularly easy to observe this time in Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt . But there were also fascinating light shows over Berlin, which unfortunately cannot be observed everywhere due to the light pollution in the city. But in general, we are also blessed with a multitude of astronomical events taking place in the night sky this year!
Northern lights over Berlin and Europe: caused by increased solar storms
The fact that this phenomenon is visible at all in our latitudes is due to the current solar activity. Our home star goes through an eleven-year cycle in which its activity rises and falls. We are currently approaching the peak of this cycle, which is expected in 2025. In the current phase, solar storms, known as coronal mass ejections (CME), are increasingly being hurled into space. If these hit the Earth’s atmosphere, they can cause the fascinating spectacle of the aurora borealis even at mid-latitudes. In the coming months, we can therefore expect even more frequent and intense light shows in the sky!
Autumn and spring are ideal for sightings
While the auroras in Berlin and the surrounding area have mainly been seen in subtle shades of green in recent days, each CME provides a unique play of colors in the sky. Spring and fall offer particularly good conditions for sightings. For many Berliners, the phenomenon is a welcome opportunity to gaze at the sky in amazement and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life for a moment. With a bit of luck and clear nights, we could be in for even more aurora spectacles in the coming months, as already mentioned – so keep looking up!