Solar storm lit up Ladakh skies: What triggered the rare sky event and what it means

Crimson auroras, typically unseen so far south, illuminated the skies of Ladakh's Hanle Dark Sky Reserve on January 19-20. This rare spectacle was triggered by an intense X-class solar flare and subsequent Coronal Mass Ejection, causing a G4-level geomagnetic storm. The vibrant red hue resulted from energetic particles exciting oxygen atoms at high altitudes in Earth's atmosphere.

Solar storm lit up Ladakh skies: What triggered the rare sky event and what it means
Crimson auroras, typically unseen so far south, illuminated the skies of Ladakh's Hanle Dark Sky Reserve on January 19-20. This rare spectacle was triggered by an intense X-class solar flare and subsequent Coronal Mass Ejection, causing a G4-level geomagnetic storm. The vibrant red hue resulted from energetic particles exciting oxygen atoms at high altitudes in Earth's atmosphere.