Unusual orange auroras lit up the Scottish night sky during a geomagnetic storm on November 25, captured by Live Science and shared with readers. An earlier, similarly striking orange glow was reported after a geomagnetic disturbance on October 19, highlighting how auroras form from high energy charged particles in the solar wind exciting atmospheric gases high above the planet. When these energetic particles collide with gas molecules, the energy is released as light, and the color depends on which species are energized by the incoming solar radiation and how deeply the particles penetrate the atmosphere.
Red and green remain the most familiar aurora colors, produced by oxygen atoms at different altitudes. Occasionally, when conditions align so the light bands overlap precisely, nitrogen interactions can yield pink hues. In rare circumstances, a faint orange tint could arise from simultaneous emissions by oxygen and nitrogen, yet such a hue is typically masked by the dominant red and green visuals already present in most auroral displays.
The orange glow observed over Scotland resulted from a subtle blend of red and green light. This precise combination requires a rare overlap of both color bands, making orange visible only under specific atmospheric and magnetic conditions that permit their spectra to merge in the observer’s line of sight.
In another part of the world, residents in the Moscow region reported sightings of the Northern Lights, illustrating how auroral activity can manifest across different latitudes during periods of heightened geomagnetic activity.