Aurora lights in India: What caused them to be visible even from Ladakh?

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Space

Context:

Aurora lights, typically visible only in high-latitude regions near the poles, were observed from Ladakh, India, during the late hours of May 10 and early hours of May 11. This phenomenon was recorded using all-sky cameras at the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) in Hanle, Ladakh, operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru.

Auroras:

Auroras are natural light displays that occur when charged particles from solar winds interact with the Earth’s magnetosphere.
- The magnetosphere is the region surrounding the Earth where the dominant magnetic field is the Earth’s, rather than the magnetic field of interplanetary Space.
- It protects the Earth against solar winds and is strongest at the poles.
These particles travel along the Earth’s magnetic field and upon colliding with atmospheric molecules and atoms, cause emissions of light seen as auroras.
In North Pole- Aurora Borealis
In South Pole- Aurora Australis

Causes of the Aurora’s Visibility in Lower Latitudes:

This unusual visibility of auroras in regions far from the poles, including India, was triggered by a significant increase in solar flare activity.
Indian solar physicists noted that several strong solar storms, originating from Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) from an active sunspot, AR13664, hit the Earth between May 10 and May 11.
These storms caused disturbances in space weather, leading to the display of auroras in lower latitudes.
- Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun’s corona.

Impact of Solar Storms:

The CMEs, travelling at high speeds (700- 815km/second), significantly disturbed the Earth’s magnetic field, affecting the space weather.
This activity was part of a series of solar flares and storms predicted to continue affecting the Earth around this period.
The intense solar storms pose risks to satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) (an altitude ranging between 200-1,600km), affecting their operations due to induced heating in the upper atmosphere and potential drag effects.
This can result in radiation hazards and physical damage to satellites, potentially compromising navigation, communication, military, and intelligence systems relying on these satellites.

Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO):

IAO is a high-altitude astronomy station operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
IAO stands on Mt. Saraswati, Digpa-ratsa Ri, Hanle in the south-eastern Ladakh Union territory of India.
- Nyoma, 75 km northwest of Hanle, has an Indian military airbase.
Situated in the Western Himalayas at an elevation of 4,500 meters (14,764 ft), the IAO is one of the world’s highest-located sites for optical, infrared and gamma-ray telescopes.
It is currently the tenth-highest optical telescope in the world.
- It is India’s first dark-sky reserve.
- Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary in Changthang plateau is also located here.
The Observatory has several active telescopes. These are the 2.01 meter optical-infrared Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT), GROWTH-India telescope, Cassegrain telescope, and a High Altitude Gamma Ray Telescope (HAGAR).
- The HCT is remotely operated from Bangalore from the Centre for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST) using a dedicated satellite link.

Source: IE