The Northern Lights can be observed in France after the “main” solar flare

Surya experienced a major flare on Saturday morning. The northern lights may be visible in the north of mainland France this Sunday evening.

Northern Lights in French skies in the coming hours? After the United States Oceanic and Atmospheric Observation Agency (NOAA) recorded a solar flare early on Saturday March 23, conditions are ripe for the event to happen soon.

According to Guillaume Séchet, weather journalist of BFMTV and founder of the Météo-villes site, this “big” eruption could “soon” lead to the northern lights in mainland France “for those who will benefit from the clearing”.

Uncertainty about the exact date of the event

3 Valentin Severin from France, an astrophotographer based in Muerthe-et-Moselle, estimates that the northern lights “may arrive next night, the night of March 24 to 25”. For his part, Pierre Henriquet, a scientific moderator specializing in astronomy, shared on the social network X (formerly Twitter) that the most likely time to observe the event will be between Monday and Tuesday.

If the event occurs during the night of Monday to Tuesday, it may not be visible in France due to very cloudy skies, according to Meteo-France forecast. An appearance during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, although unlikely according to current forecasts, will be more enviable for fans of the astronomical phenomenon as the sky should be clear.

In recent months, the Earth has experienced an increase in the number of northern lights, which are linked to the strong activity of the Sun and its magnetic cycle, which reach their maximum every 11 years. The peak of this activity is expected for 2025.