The northern lights are one of the most impressive natural phenomena, which are not easy to witness, as they normally occur in northern Europe, as well as in Siberia and Alaska; However, during recent nights they were seen in unusual areas such as the south of the United States, Canada and Mexico.
In Mexico, the phenomenon was noticeable in Yucatán, Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Jalisco, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Zacatecas and Oaxaca and Yucatán.
In Mexico City, the northern lights have only been seen once, on September 2, 1859, according to records from the newspaper La Sociedad, available in the National Digital Newspaper Library of Mexico (HNDM), of the National Autonomous University of Mexico ( UNAM), since the geographical location of the capital and the high light pollution make it difficult for this to happen more frequently.
However, Alejandro Macías, a scientist and infectious disease specialist who was “the Influenza Czar” in Mexico, explained that despite how beautiful the northern lights are, the phenomenon is a cause for concern, since it can cause various damages.
On his X account, formerly Twitter, the scientist pointed out that the northern lights have been seen “very south of the poles” and even in areas of Mexico such as Jalisco.
The scientist warned that they are “beautiful but worrying,” because in the hours or days that follow, the phenomenon known as the Carrington effect may occur, with which communications and the electrical network on the face of the earth would collapse, as recorded in 1859. back then with telegraphic communications.
“In Mexico, northern lights have been seen far south of the poles, even in Jalisco. They are beautiful but worrying; In the following days or hours, the Carrington phenomenon may occur, with a collapse in communications and the electrical network on the face of the Earth in front of the Sun.
“The Carrington event of 1859 occurred after a solar storm, with breakdowns in communications (then telegraphic). The northern lights are visible as far from the poles as Mexico drew attention,” he wrote on social media.
According to Macías, the Carrington storm of 1859 was one of the largest magnetic storms ever observed and caused global auroral displays in low-latitude areas, along with a series of multiple magnetic storms from August 28 to September 4 of that same year.
TYT Newsroom
