Rare northern lights illuminate the Miesbach district!

Rare northern lights illuminate the Miesbach district!

On the night of Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the Miesbach district in Upper Bavaria experienced a very special natural spectacle: intense northern lights illuminated the sky over Schliersee and Fischbachau. According to reports from Mercury The sighting of these fascinating lights was an extremely rare sight in this region, as northern lights mostly occur in northern latitudes.

The essence of the phenomenon lies in the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth's magnetosphere. Strong solar outbursts, like the one that occurred recently, are often the cause of such extraordinary displays of color in the sky. This was done by star confirmed. People across Upper Franconia, Lower Bavaria and south of Munich were able to observe this impressive spectacle, with the sky glowing in the most brilliant shades of red and green.

Formation of the northern lights

But where do these lights come from that illuminate the sky in such a spectacular way? Northern lights, also known as aurora borealis and aurora australis, are caused by the penetration of electrically charged particles from the solar wind into the Earth's atmosphere. These particles excite nitrogen and oxygen atoms, which then glow in different colors, like the Wikipedia explained. The green light that we see so often has a wavelength of 557.7 nm, while the red light shines at 630 nm and 636 nm.

We usually find auroras at higher latitudes, where they appear in bands of about 3 to 6 degrees around the magnetic poles. In Central Europe, as in the case of the Miesbach district, the phenomenon is particularly evident during periods of strong solar activity, when the maximum of the solar cycle is reached.

A rare sight

The photographers from the region took the opportunity to capture the natural spectacle and express great joy at the rare sighting. You could say they had a lucky hand. Such events are not only breathtaking, they have also historically caused astonishment and concern. For over 2,500 years, historical accounts say, northern lights were interpreted in various cultures as signs from gods or harbingers of disaster.

For the residents of the Miesbach district, this evening will probably be remembered fondly for a long time. It is an atmospheric example that nature can still provide magical moments even in urban areas and civilization.

Will there be further opportunities to marvel at this spectacle in the future? That remains to be seen, but people in Bavaria and around the world will continue to look to the sky in the hope of witnessing such a fantastic sight again.