Sochi Residents Share Northern Lights Footage from Subtropics
A powerful solar ejection has illuminated the sky over Sochi with the Northern Lights, capturing rare subtropical aurora footage shared by locals.
Jan 20, 2026 0
The Northern Lights were especially bright when viewed from the elevated areas around Sochi.
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Across the Krasnodar Krai and in Sochi, an incredible spectacle was observed the day before—the Northern Lights. A powerful solar ejection reached Earth earlier than predicted.
Early in the event, the sky was illuminated by pink and lilac auroral flashes.
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The most patient observers waited for the phenomenon and are sharing unique footage, especially since the lights were clearly visible in the mountains. The sky lit up first with pink and lilac, then with crimson and orange-scarlet flashes.
As the display progressed, it shifted to intense crimson and orange-scarlet hues.
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The Northern Lights were clearly visible away from city lights. The weather was favorable, with a clear sky over Sochi, so those who waited were presented with an unreal picture of the Northern Lights in the subtropics.
Stars visible in the clear sky added to the surreal spectacle of the polar lights.
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The cause of this rarest phenomenon, recorded at unusually low latitudes (43–45° N), was the most powerful solar flare, which astronomers have called the «storm of the century.» The stream of solar plasma, ejected towards Earth, traveled through space at a speed of over 1,000 km/s.
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