Kargil, May 02: The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) in Hanle, Ladakh, has photographed a spectacular display of aurora lights. The aurora borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, are a natural phenomenon that can be observed at higher altitudes in places like Iceland and Norway.

The recent capture of auroras in India, on the other hand, was caused by a severe geomagnetic storm that hit Earth on 21 April. This event caused fascinating auroras in many parts of the planet, including India.

According to media reports, the event was filmed by the 360-degree camera atop the IAO in Ladakh. The institute said, “It is extremely rare to see aurora at such a low latitude.”

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Wageesh Mishra, Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics added, “This CME (speed of 500-600 km/s) was associated with an M1 class solar flare. The CME arrived at Earth late on April 23 at 10 PM.”

He also said, “This geoeffective CME led to an excellent night for auroral activity. The aurora came to lower-than-usual latitudes overnight leading to rare sightings of from Europe, China & Ladakh in India. Such a severe geomagnetic storm last occurred in 2015.”

The unusual appearance of aurora lights over Ladakh has not only shocked social media users, but researchers as well.