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Rare Violet Aurora Seen Over Stuttgart

The national weather service linked the glow to strong solar storms that have been more frequent this year.

Overview

  • Videos from the Stuttgart district of Bad Cannstatt on December 23 showed a distinct violet sky glow identified as an aurora.
  • The Deutscher Wetterdienst said the display resulted from charged particles from coronal mass ejections penetrating Earth's magnetosphere.
  • Viewing was reported as best above roughly 800 meters in the Black Forest and at similar elevations on the Swabian Alb where skies were clear.
  • A temporary break in cloud cover enabled sightings in Stuttgart, while dense clouds blocked views in other parts of the region.
  • Forecasters said it remained unclear whether auroras would be visible in southwestern Germany over Christmas.