The brightness of the auroras reached latitudes of about 50 degrees, with the most intense manifestations observed from 1:00 to 3:00 Moscow time, reaching a level of 10 on the intensity scale. However, many regions faced poor weather conditions, which limited visibility of this natural phenomenon.
The most favorable conditions for observation were in the Kemerovo and Chelyabinsk regions, as well as in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, partially in the Murmansk region, and over a significant part of Europe, including the Scandinavian countries and even southern regions such as Poland and Germany, noted specialists from the Institute of Cosmic Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAN).
According to scientists, the magnetic storm was caused by a cloud of plasma ejected by the Sun as a result of one of the recent weak flares. A major explosion on the Sun was recorded on January 8, which researchers believe acted as a catalyst for this magnetic storm.
“Initially, a much less powerful event was predicted, which was supposed to begin only by midday. However, the earlier arrival of the plasma and the high intensity of the auroras came as a surprise,” added the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The first magnetic storm of this year occurred on the night of January 3, caused by plasma ejected as a result of the flare on December 31.
