Polar lights and weak magnetic storms confirmed for New Year's Eve

Calculations confirm the possibility of observing bright aurora borealis over the country on New Year's Eve. According to models, two factors are simultaneously affecting Earth at this moment: a small coronal hole currently observed in the Sun's northern hemisphere and the approach of the edge of a plasma cloud ejected from the Sun by a series of M-class flares that occurred overnight between Sunday and Monday.

As already noted, the highest chances of seeing not only fireworks but also a cosmic light show in the night sky (and auroral flashes are triggered by the impact of space weather on Earth) will be in the northern and northwestern regions of the country, including St. Petersburg. The most favorable locations for observing auroras in the European part of Russia, as usual, will be Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. The preliminary probability of visible auroras for the central regions of Russia, including Moscow, is approximately 20%. For regions located south of 50-52 degrees north latitude, observing the bright auroras will unfortunately require a New Year's miracle.

It should be noted that the illuminated New Year's Eve is generally not the most favorable backdrop for observing the northern lights, especially given the rather bright waxing moon, which will create additional illumination in the sky on the night of December 31-January 1. In such cases, mobile phone and camera viewfinders can help you see the "invisible," as they are significantly more sensitive to the wavelengths of the auroras than the human eye.

Happiness and goodness to all in the coming year!