A passionate astronomy enthusiast captured this amazing event with a time-lapse (a speeded-up effect) from her window. She shares that she woke up between 4:30 and 5:30 in the morning, setting up her DSLR camera with a bright lens on her windowsill. For an hour, her camera snapped a photo every 20 seconds. She then compiled these images into a video, which she shared on platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Although the auroras are more vivid in photos than to the naked eye, these images showcase a delicate pink trail in the sky, despite the light from the full moon. Wowwww!
Aurore boréale de ce matin en time lapse - 17/09 à Montgermont #aurora #auroreboreale #AuroraBorealis #Bretagne #Rennes #Montgermont #SonyAlpha #alpha7III pic.twitter.com/JgidGibUqR
— Catherine (@cath_loc) September 17, 2024
A phenomenon that's becoming less and less rare around here!
This isn't the first time that auroras have been spotted in the region. Last May, they were also seen in Rennes and several nearby towns, like Montreuil-le-Gast and Vezin-le-Coquet. This year is particularly favorable for these phenomena, especially due to high solar activity. The sun indeed experienced a major eruption in May, causing intense magnetic storms.
The CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) confirms this exceptional period of solar activity, which continues to encourage the appearance of auroras in regions further south than usual.
So here's a tip, keep your eyes wide open (or at least try, haha)!