New historic opportunity to see the Northern Lights in Catalonia: where and when you can do it

BarcelonaThe Northern Lights are returning to Catalonia. Some were already visible this morning, but the best time will be tonight. This is an extraordinary phenomenon in our country, occurring with unusual frequency at our latitudes since 2024 due to a peak in solar activity, which is reaching its highest point this year. The solar storms of recent days are sending many particles toward our planet, which, upon colliding with Earth's magnetic field, generate these powerful auroras. They are usually concentrated at both poles, but exceptionally, they are being seen at lower latitudes than normal.

In the early hours of this morning, the auroras were visible from various points across Catalonia. However, in most cases, they were only seen through cameras and long-exposure photographs, as they were too faint to be easily seen with the naked eye. Therefore, this was a weaker display than the one that occurred on May 10, 2024. On that historic night, the auroras were visible without any equipment.

Peak of the Northern Lights tonight

All eyes are on tonight, when conditions will be at their best for observing the Northern Lights in Catalonia. One of the most intense particle fronts emitted by the Sun in recent days will reach Earth, causing these geomagnetic storms. The early afternoon and evening hours of Wednesday will be optimal for observing the phenomenon. During this time, the Moon—currently in its waning crescent phase—will not yet have risen, and therefore the sky will be darker. We'll have to keep our fingers crossed that the clouds don't interfere, as some low-lying areas are expected along the coast and pre-coastal regions. Thin, high-altitude clouds will also continue to cross the country, occasionally obscuring the sky.

The recommendation is to observe the sky from elevated areas or large plains where there are no obstructions on the northern horizon, such as buildings, mountains, or trees. We must escape light pollution, and it's essential to have a camera handy—even a mobile phone camera—as it will be easier to see the auroras through a camera than with the naked eye.

These are auroras called SAR (Southern Auroras), which reach our country indirectly and weakly, concentrated on the northern horizon. They are not the typical auroras that usually create spectacular green shapes in the northernmost latitudes; instead, we will see a reddish or lilac color in this part of the sky.

Northern Lights around the world

The Northern Lights were visible from many parts of the world early this morning. It's important to note that those seen in the Southern Hemisphere are called the Southern Lights. The most spectacular displays occurred at latitudes closer to the poles. Areas of the United States and Europe, for example, saw their skies light up in the middle of the night. Auroras were also visible in many parts of Spain, especially in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, a truly unusual occurrence. Here are some images of the auroras observed around the world in the last few hours: