Swiss Treated To Second Night Of Northern Lights

Violet lights could be seen on webcams such as the one on the Gornergrat in the canton of Valais.

The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) could also be observed on the Jungfraujoch.

A particularly strong solar storm had already caused northern lights in the Swiss night sky on Tuesday night. According to the weather service Meteonews, this was the strongest geomagnetic storm in over 20 years.

The natural spectacle could be observed in many regions of Switzerland. The auroras were particularly visible outside the fog zones and at higher altitudes. Green auroras, which are rare in Switzerland, were also observed.

In central Switzerland, widespread fog and high fog below around 700 to 800 metres prevented visibility.

Particles emitted during solar storms can disrupt the Earth's magnetic field, which, in addition to the northern lights, can also cause interference with radio communications, problems with satellites and overloads in the power grid.

Northern Lights can also occur in regions where they are otherwise rarely observed.

The Aurora Borealis is the generic term for the coloured luminous phenomena in the sky that occur when particles from a solar storm collide with the Earth's magnetic field.

The Southern Lights (Aurora Australis) is the southern variant, which typically appears over Antarctica and southern Australia. Aurora Borealis is usually seen at the North Pole and in northern Europe.

This content was published on Jan 20, 2026 A strong solar storm brings rare green auroras to Switzerland.