Solar Storm Set To Hit Earth: These Cities Could See Aurora Borealis Tonight
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A massive solar storm is set to Earth tonight, and if you have been dreaming to watch the auroras, aka northern lights, in person, this is your time to do it.
News18
If you have been dreaming of watching the glow of the Aurora Borealis in person, this might be your time. A solar storm is set to hit Earth today, which will make the chance of you being able to watch the northern light glitter and glow visible above India.
A massive solar eruption has launched a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) towards Earth. NASA has also issued a G3 geomagnetic storm watch, with auroral displays possible across northern India, Europe, and Australia today (June 8) and tomorrow (June 9). According to scientists, the incoming solar storm could produce an extremely intense effect, more intense than several recent solar events that have been recorded earlier this week.
What are the Aurora Borealis?
Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, are vibrant natural light displays that appear as glowing, colourful ribbons weaving across Earth’s northern polar regions. These spectacular phenomena create bright curtains of green, pink, purple, yellow, and red light that dance and swirl in the night sky near the Arctic Circle. They occur in a zone called the “Auroral Oval” centred on Earth’s magnetic poles and can occasionally be visible at lower latitudes during high solar activity.
How do Aurora Borealis form?
The aurora borealis forms when charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth’s atmosphere. The Sun constantly releases charged particles through solar wind and solar flares. When these particles reach Earth, most are deflected by our magnetic field, but some get funnelled toward the poles. There, they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms at 20-200 miles altitude, releasing energy as photons (light). Oxygen produces green and red colours, while nitrogen creates blue and purple hues
Which Indian Cities Could See Auroras Tonight?
There is a possibility that the Auroras will be visible in some cities in India. And as it has happened before, on the night of January 19, 2026, it is not a far-fetched idea. Even scientists from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics confirmed that their cameras had seen the auroras.
And the lucky city, according to reports, was Hanle, Ladakh. So, this time around, people are waiting with bated breath. The Indian Astronomical Observatory sits at four thousand five hundred metres above sea level, and is placed at the edge of the world. Here the air is very thin and the nights are clear yet pitch black, making all cosmic bodies visible to the naked eye.
Other high-altitude locations carry slimmer but real possibilities: the Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso, parts of Kashmir, and the higher reaches of the Uttarakhand Himalayas.
At these elevations, on a night like this, a faint red or pink glow on the northern horizon is not impossible. It is rare and conditional, but not impossible.
So, if you are in Ladakh tonight, face north after midnight. Having access to a long-exposure camera certainly helps, as the eye sees this before it does.
About the Author
Abigail Banerji is a Senior Sub Editor with News18’s English desk. She brings 6 years of experience across both print and digital newsrooms, spanning editorial planning, reportage, copy editing, conte…Read More
