Sun will offer a chance to witness an unusual natural phenomenon on New Year’s night
Tengrinews.kz — New Year’s Eve may turn out to be especially bright — not only with fireworks, but also with the northern lights. Unexpected solar activity has increased the chances of seeing this unusual natural phenomenon, according to the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS).
Earlier, scientists believed that there would be almost no auroras at the turn of 2025–2026. But the night of December 31 to January 1 brought a surprise: in active region 4317 on the Sun, a series of flares occurred, including two strong ones — M4.2 and M2.2.
Specialists note that such events create a “solar intrigue” and may become an unusual adornment of the holiday.
The flares ejected into space a medium-sized cloud of plasma, which will reach the Earth in about three days.
“On New Year’s Eve, sometimes miracles happen, and perhaps the Sun will also decide to please us,” the experts noted.
It may only slightly graze the planet, but this is enough for the northern lights to become visible.
The aurora is usually seen at high latitudes. The farther north you are, the higher the chance of observing the dancing lights in the sky.
So, as you prepare to welcome 2026, it is worth keeping a closer eye on the sky: the Sun’s gift may turn out to be brighter than any firework.