Aurora Borealis allegedly spotted in the Philippines
AURORA BOREALIS – The appearance of pink lights resembling the Northern Lights has emerged on social media platforms. However, is it possible to witness this phenomenon in the Philippines?
The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is a captivating natural light display primarily observed in high-latitude regions near the Arctic Circle. It occurs when charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, resulting in colorful curtains of light dancing across the night sky. This mesmerizing phenomenon varies in intensity and color, depending on factors like solar activity and atmospheric conditions.
Typically, the northern lights are visible in countries like Norway, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Alaska, and Canada, while its counterpart, the southern lights or Aurora Australis, are often seen in parts of Australia, Chile, South Africa, and Argentina.
In a TikTok video shared by a netizen named “alexandramyiesha,” the netizen claimed to have witnessed pink lights in the sky in Pasay, near the SM Mall of Asia. However, some netizens speculated that it could be due to a geomagnetic storm that hit other countries, causing the phenomenon to reach the Philippines. Another TikTok video by “jhongjhongg” suggested that the pink lights seen were merely a reflection of pink lights from the SM Mall of Asia that night.
@alexandramyiesha Northern pasay #fyp ♬ original sound – sky🎀
According to trivia master Kuya Kim Atienza, it’s impossible for the Aurora Borealis to appear in the Philippines due to its proximity to the equator, resulting in a weaker magnetic field. “Malapit sa equator ang Pilipinas. Kaya mas mahina ang magnetic field dito. ‘Yan po ang dahilan para ang Aurora Borealis o northern lights ay imposibleng mamalas ang ganda sa ating bansa,” he said.
@jhongjhongg Ito lang pala yung sinasabi nilang #auroraborealis #northenlights ♬ original sound – Ester W. Yohanes
Similarly, an article from the Manila Bulletin also stated, “Our country is just too far away from the south and north as we are located just north of the equator.”