As the aurora borealis painted the skies of multiple countries, an astronomer from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) captured rare images of a “giant sunspot” that induced ethereal hues of pink, immersive shades of purple, and surreal greens in the sky—commonly known as the northern lights.
Although the northern lights weren’t observed in the Gulf country like in other parts of the world, Mohammad Odeh, a prominent astronomer and chairman of the International Astronomy Centre (IAC), shared photographs of the colossal flames erupting from the sun. These images marked the onset of a solar storm, triggering the most potent geomagnetic disturbance the planet has experienced in two decades.
Using specialized telescopes, Odeh captured these images from the IAC’s Astronomical Seal Observatory in Abu Dhabi. The first image showcases a prominent giant sunspot, while the second depicts massive flames emanating from the sun.
Odeh noted that the sun exhibited four significant flares over the past two days: the first at 1 pm UAE time on May 9, followed by another at 10 pm the same day, then at 10:54 am on Friday, and finally at 5:23 am on Saturday.
“These emissions, upon reaching Earth, disrupt the planet’s magnetic field, giving rise to the aurora borealis. Due to the intensity of these eruptions and emissions, the northern lights were visible in regions where they had not been observed for a considerable time,” explained the expert.
The breathtaking displays of the northern lights in the northern hemisphere originated from the first flare, which hit Earth at 8 pm GMT (12 am UAE time) on Friday.
“The second emission is anticipated to reach us today, Saturday, at 11 pm GMT, followed by the third emission tomorrow, Sunday, at 10 am, and the fourth emission at 12 noon,” Odeh projected.
