Northern Lights could be visible over Denmark this weekend
Powerful solar explosions mean that the Northern Lights could be visible over Denmark on Friday – provided the cloud cover clears.
The Aurora Borealis, rarely seen at Danish latitudes, could find its way to Scandinavian skies this week, writes Videnskab.dk.
Powerful explosions on the surface of the sun on Wednesday – the strongest of their kind for ten years – have raised hopes the spectacular natural phenomenon could be seen this week.
The explosions have sent a cloud of charged particles towards the Earth. They are expected to hit the planet’s magnetic field from Friday evening Danish time, according to the report.
Larger parts of the world than usual will therefore be able to see the lights, NASA has confirmed.
The particles are expected to reach the earth at around 7:30pm, although this estimate could vary by as much as plus or minus seven hours.
“If the weather is clear, there will be a very good chance of seeing the Northern Lights in all of Denmark,” Christoffer Karoff, professor at Aarhus University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, told Videnskab.dk.
In order to see the lights, stargazers must find a position that has a clear view to the north, with dark surroundings without background lighting such as, for example, street lights.
Being able to see the aurora at all also depends, of course, on whether the sky is veiled by cloud.
The Danish Meteorological Institute is currently forecasting Friday’s weather to be “cloudy” with “rain in many places”.
SEE ALSO: In pictures: Denmark treated to spectacular rare cloud formation
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The Aurora Borealis, rarely seen at Danish latitudes, could find its way to Scandinavian skies this week, writes Videnskab.dk.
Powerful explosions on the surface of the sun on Wednesday – the strongest of their kind for ten years – have raised hopes the spectacular natural phenomenon could be seen this week.
The explosions have sent a cloud of charged particles towards the Earth. They are expected to hit the planet’s magnetic field from Friday evening Danish time, according to the report.
Larger parts of the world than usual will therefore be able to see the lights, NASA has confirmed.
The particles are expected to reach the earth at around 7:30pm, although this estimate could vary by as much as plus or minus seven hours.
“If the weather is clear, there will be a very good chance of seeing the Northern Lights in all of Denmark,” Christoffer Karoff, professor at Aarhus University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, told Videnskab.dk.
In order to see the lights, stargazers must find a position that has a clear view to the north, with dark surroundings without background lighting such as, for example, street lights.
Being able to see the aurora at all also depends, of course, on whether the sky is veiled by cloud.
The Danish Meteorological Institute is currently forecasting Friday’s weather to be “cloudy” with “rain in many places”.
SEE ALSO: In pictures: Denmark treated to spectacular rare cloud formation
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