Rare Northern Lights Appear Over Rostov Oblast
Residents of Rostov Oblast observed a rare aurora borealis on January 20, caused by a major solar flare, with photos available for those who missed the display.
Jan 22, 2026 0
The aurora«s beauty was offset by a powerful magnetic storm in the region.
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On the night of January 20, residents of Rostov Oblast witnessed a rare phenomenon for southern Russia — the aurora borealis. The cause was a powerful solar flare. If you missed it, here are photos of the event.
A view of the northern lights from an area near Taganrog.
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According to the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of the Institute of Cosmic Research (IKI) and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISZF), on January 18, the largest solar flare since November occurred on the Sun. The ejected plasma hit Earth on January 20, causing intense auroras observed across nearly all regions of Russia.
The aurora as seen from the city of Rostov-on-Don.
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The flip side — a severe magnetic storm that covered Rostov Oblast on January 20. Astronomers report that the magnetosphere will only calm down by night.
The phenomenon observed in the settlement of Aleksandrovka.
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A Telegram channel shares an image of the aurora over Rostov.
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Social media users in Kamensk posted photos of the northern lights.
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A reader-submitted photo capturing the rare aurora display.
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