{
  "id": 448074,
  "title": "Could the northern lights be visible during the total solar eclipse on Aug.12? Maybe.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/could-the-northern-lights-be-visible-during-the-total-solar-eclipse",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-10T07:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Space.com",
    "slug": "space-com",
    "url": "https://www.space.com/stargazing/auroras/could-the-northern-lights-be-visible-during-the-total-solar-eclipse-on-aug-12-maybe"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On August 12, 2026, a total solar eclipse will be visible from Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain, revealing the sun's corona. However, it is possible that the northern lights may also be seen during this event. Although totality does not produce true nighttime darkness, it does dim the sky to about the brightness of twilight. Tom Kerss, an astronomer, explains that during totality, the sky is comparable to civil twilight, which makes it uncommon to see auroras but not impossible. However, the aurora's position in the sky would impact its visibility. The sun's corona during totality would almost certainly outshine auroras in its vicinity, but other parts of the sky away from the eclipse could still host visible auroral structures. For the northern lights to be seen during the eclipse, Earth needs to experience a severe geomagnetic storm, such as a G4 or G5 storm, which occurs when eruptions from the sun, like coronal mass ejections (CMEs), slam into Earth's magnetic field. During these conditions, auroras can become brighter and more widespread. However, the chances of seeing an aurora during the eclipse are slim, as it would require a G4 or G5 geomagnetic storm overlapping with the eclipse for observers to be on Earth's dayside. Even then, the daytime auroral oval changes very little, making it difficult to see displays even during active space weather. The chances of seeing an aurora over Spain are very low, and the sky would be too bright for observers to see any planets or stars during totality.",
  "summary": "A total solar eclipse and the northern lights at the same time? Experts explain why it's possible, but the odds are stacked against it.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Space.com",
        "title": "The total solar eclipse on Aug. 12 will reveal something nobody has ever seen before",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/the-total-solar-eclipse-on-aug-12-will-reveal-something-nobody-has",
        "published": "2026-08-09T12:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}