Aurora lights in India: What caused them to be visible even from Ladakh?
- May 13, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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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