Most of Europe is glowing pink under the aurora
An unusually powerful solar storm has produced vivid auroras visible far beyond their normal polar range, bathing much of Europe, North America and even parts of Australia, South America and Africa in pink, red and green light. Commenters trade viewing tips, photos and technical details, noting how camera sensors reveal far more color than the human eye under light-polluted skies, and how factors like dark adaptation and location dramatically affect what people actually see. The event also prompts interest in space-weather tools, questions about potential impacts on power grids, satellites and radio communications, and comparisons to historic geomagnetic storms such as the 1859 Carrington event.
Scope of the aurora event
- Very strong auroral display linked to a major solar storm (described as the largest in ~20 years; Kp up to 8, G5 geomagnetic storm).
- Visible far beyond usual latitudes:
- Europe: from Scandinavia down through UK, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Canary Islands.
- North America: reports from Canada and much of the US, down to Texas, Florida, Alabama, San Antonio.
- Southern hemisphere: Uruguay, southern Argentina, near Antarctica, and southern Australia (incl. Melbourne).
- Light pollution and clouds made it hard or impossible to see from some cities, even close to others reporting spectacular views.
Colors and “why pink?”
- Pink, red, green, and purple frequently mentioned; some webcams and phones showed intense magenta skies.
- Linked by commenters to different emissions from atmospheric gases at varying altitudes; higher-altitude oxygen producing reds/pinks.
- Some ask why this event produced such strong reds compared to more common green displays.
Camera vs naked eye
- Repeated theme: long exposures and phone “night mode” pull out much stronger colors and structure than human vision.
- Experiences range widely:
- Some saw vivid, multicolored, fast-moving “curtains” clearly with naked eye.
- Others saw only faint grey/white “clouds” or subtle tints, only impressive in photos.
- Explanations given: low-light color insensitivity of human eyes, need for 20–30 minutes of dark adaptation, and impact of looking at bright screens or car headlights.
Forecasting and tools
- People share and critique tools: NOAA aurora dashboard, spaceweatherlive.com, spaceweather.com, earth.nullschool.net visualizations, national services, and alert apps.
- Noted that detailed prediction is hard: CME arrival can be estimated, but geoeffectiveness and exact visibility are only clear shortly beforehand or in near-real-time.
Impacts and risks
- Mention of historical 1989 Quebec outage and Carrington Event for comparison; current storm much weaker than Carrington but still notable.
- Some satellite operators reportedly powered down components; ham radio users and HF aviation links saw disruptions.
- Grid-level risks discussed, but consensus in thread is that household-level actions (e.g., flipping breakers) are unnecessary.
Reactions and reflections
- Many describe the event as “once in a lifetime” and emotionally powerful, sometimes surpassing recent eclipses.
- Others express frustration at missing it (sleep, clouds, light pollution) and ask about chances of repeats during the current solar maximum.