Rare Northern Lights display seen over Switzerland
Sporadic sightings of the Northern Lights were reported in the Swiss night sky on Saturday evening. Although the lights were faint, they could be seen clearly, meteorologist Daniel Gerstgrasser wrote in a post on X.
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Rare Northern Lights display seen over Switzerland
The natural spectacle could be seen on several MeteoSwiss webcams. The Northern Lights are caused by heightened solar activity. Large quantities of electrically charged particles are ejected from the Sun and can reach Earth within one to five days, according to MeteoSwiss.
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The charged particles are deflected towards the poles by the Earth’s magnetic field. There, they collide with oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere, creating the characteristic light displays. During periods of particularly intense solar activity, the Northern Lights can also be visible from Switzerland.
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