For the first time, the Northern Lights, commonly known as the Northern Lights, graced the skies over a vast swath of Bulgaria on Sunday evening. Photos and videos of this superb exhibition quickly went viral on social networks.
The changing red aurora first appeared in the northeastern part of Bulgaria, before spreading to almost every corner of the Balkan country, Meteo Balkans reported.
Some people on social media called images of blood-red skies in Bulgaria “apocalyptic” and “scary.” Others expressed excitement about experiencing this fascinating phenomenon.
According to reports, the Northern Lights have also been observed in Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. There are also photos from Poland and Slovakia. Dazzling green and red auroras were also seen in the UK on Saturday evening.
Earlier this year, the Northern Lights were first seen in India. This rare phenomenon was captured in Ladakh, exciting scientists and sky observers.
The Northern Lights have fascinated humanity for centuries and usually appear during geomagnetic storms. These celestial wonders are the result of disruptions in Earth’s magnetic field, resulting in hours of bright auroras at high and low latitudes.
Although the Northern Lights are most commonly seen near the Earth’s north and south magnetic poles, where they are called the aurora australis, they can occasionally make their presence known in more temperate regions.
This phenomenon results from the interaction of solar wind particles coming from the Sun, some of which travel millions of kilometers before reaching Earth. Once they arrive, the Earth’s magnetic field guides these particles towards the polar zones.
The unique colors of auroras depend on the specific gas molecules these particles encounter in the atmosphere and where these interactions occur. Emissions of oxygen create the characteristic green light, while encounters with nitrogen produce a striking red glow illuminating the sky.