“A major solar flare (X1.1) took place early in the morning
,” warned meteorologist Guillaume Séchet this Saturday morning on X.
“Conditions could be favorable for observing the Northern Lights”
in the north of France, he continued.
“The sun expelled many particles towards the Earth. They could arrive next night, that of March 24 to 25
,” added astrophotographer Valentin Severin to our colleagues from
France 3 Grand Est
.
If the weather conditions are favorable, they will be observable during the night, between 3 and 4 a.m.
The alert was given by the American
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), which assesses disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field, and estimates the probability of seeing an aurora based on geographic location.
“Aurora can often be seen somewhere on Earth just after sunset or just before sunrise. The aurora is not visible during the day. The aurora does not need to be directly above us, but can be observed up to 1,000 km away when it is bright and conditions are favorable
,” says NOAA.