Aurora Lights in India

Published: 13th May, 2024

Context

Aurora lights in red hues were recently observed from Ladakh's clear skies. Astronomers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru (IIA) captured these auroras using all-sky cameras located around the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) in Hanle, Ladakh.

Aurora Lights and Their Origin:

Aurora lights are typically seen in high-latitude regions near the North and South Poles.
- When observed near the North Pole, they are called Aurora Borealis, and near the South Pole, Aurora Australis.
These colorful lights result from the interaction between charged solar winds and the Earth's magnetosphere.
Solar winds, consisting mainly of protons and electrons, interact with the Earth's magnetic field, causing collisions with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere.
These collisions produce light, similar to how electrons in a neon light create different colors when colliding with gases.

Why Auroras were visible in Ladakh?

The auroras visible from Ladakh were attributed to increased solar flare activity in space, particularly due to Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs).
CMEs are large ejections of magnetic particles and plasma from the Sun's corona.
Originating from an active region on the Sun, AR13664, these CMEs reached the Earth's atmosphere, following intense solar flares.
These storms caused auroras in red, violet, and blue colors, visible even from lower-latitude regions like Ladakh, the US, and the UK.

Impact of Solar Storms:

Intense solar storms, like the recent CMEs, can disrupt satellite operations in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), which includes navigation, military, and communication satellites.
The energetic particle environment created by these storms can induce heating in the upper atmosphere, posing radiation hazards and increasing friction on satellites.
Excessive friction can lead to satellite malfunction or even ignition and burning in extreme cases, jeopardizing their operations.

PYQ

Q. If a major solar storm (solar flare) reaches the Earth, which of the following are the possible effects on the Earth? (2022)

GPS and navigation systems could fail.
Tsunamis could occur at equatorial regions.
Power grids could be damaged.
Intense auroras could occur over much of the Earth.
Forest fires could take place over much of the planet.
Orbits of the satellites could be disturbed
Shortwave radio communication of the aircraft flying over polar regions could be interrupted.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1, 2, 4 and 5 only
2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 only
1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 only
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and

Solution: (c)

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