The Northern Lights are increasingly twinkling in the Winnipeg sky

Many Winnipeggers have been sharing photos of the Northern Lights on social media over the past few days. According to astrophysicist Robert Lamontagne, this phenomenon is recurrent, because solar activity generates ideal conditions for the formation of these nocturnal lights.

According to him, the Northern Lights are formed whenelectrically charged particles that come from the sun interact with our Earth’s atmosphere,km above our heads”,”text”:”80km above our heads”}}”>80 km above our heads.

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Northern Lights in Winnipeg on March 23, 2023. Photo by @by.habibb

Robert Lamontagne specifies that these particles are more numerous when the number of solar eruptions is important.

2024, start2025. So for the next few years, the number of solar flares will increase”,”text”:”We are in the growing part of the activity cycle which is expected to peak in late 2024, early 2025. So for the next few years, the number of solar flares will increase””>We are in the growing part of the activity cycle which is expected to peak in late 2024, early 2025. So for the next few years the number of solar flares will increase, explains Robert Lamontagne. He states that the sun’s activity cycles regarding 11 years.

« If the particle flux is very important, it is found to excite the molecules of the upper atmosphere which produces this luminous phenomenon »

— A quote from Robert Lamontagne, astrophysicist

Boreal forecasts

Northern Lights forecasts are possiblehours to 24h in advance “,”text”:” from 12h to 24h in advance “}}”>12 to 24 hours in advancewarns Robert Lamontagne, thanks to thespace weather.

h and 3days [après une éruption solaire] to reach the atmosphere “,”text”:”Particles take between 12h and 3days [après une éruption solaire] to get to the atmosphere “”>The particles take between 12 hours and 3 days [après une éruption solaire] to get into the atmospherehe explains.

He adds that the particles are attracted by the magnetic poles of the earth, which explains why the phenomenon takes place especially near the North and South poles, although exceptions can occur.

Intense auroras are sometimes seen at the border between the United States and Mexicoreports Robert Lamontagne.

The expert advises to observe the Northern Lights when the nights are dark, without a full moon and without clouds.

With information from Jérémy Laniel