Northern Lights Illuminate Irish Skies After Powerful Solar Flare

Dublin: The Northern Lights put on a spectacular display across parts of Ireland on Monday night, captivating stargazers with vivid colours and rare celestial views.

The phenomenon followed a powerful solar flare on Sunday, which released a striking coronal mass ejection (CME) directed towards Earth. As a result, residents in counties including Galway, Mayo and Leitrim witnessed dazzling auroral activity late into Monday night, with skies lighting up in shades of green, red and purple.

According to Met Éireann, the Northern Lights—scientifically known as the Aurora Borealis—occur when charged particles ejected from the Sun collide with gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere. The resulting colours depend on the type of gas involved in these interactions. Oxygen molecules at altitudes of around 100 kilometres produce a greenish-yellow glow, while higher-altitude oxygen interactions create red hues. Blue or purple auroras are typically caused by collisions involving nitrogen molecules.

Despite earlier concerns that cloud cover might obscure visibility, weather conditions proved more favourable than expected, allowing clear views across several regions.

The Donegal Weather Channel described the event as particularly significant, noting that a historic S4-level severe radiation storm threshold had been crossed. “The last S4 radiation storm occurred on October 29, 2003, ahead of the infamous G5 Halloween storms,” the channel said in a social media post, adding that the primary impacts of such storms are generally limited to space launches, aviation and satellite operations.

The Met Office has advised those hoping to view the aurora to seek out dark locations away from light pollution, look towards the northern horizon, and time their viewing for periods when cloud cover is at its thinnest.

With heightened solar activity continuing to influence Earth’s atmosphere, astronomers say similar displays may be possible in the coming days, weather permitting.