Ladakh Red Sky Signals Rare Solar Radiation Storm

The night sky over Hanle in Ladakh turned an eerie blood-red in mid-January, stunning observers and flooding social media with images likened to the Northern Lights. Yet scientists stress that the spectacle was not merely a visual rarity. It was a warning sign of intense solar activity with real implications for Earth’s technological systems.

What Caused the Red Glow Over Hanle

The phenomenon occurred on the nights of January 19 and 20 after the Sun unleashed an X-class solar flare on January 18, the most powerful category of solar eruptions. This flare triggered a fast-moving Coronal Mass Ejection, a cloud of charged plasma and magnetic fields travelling at nearly 1,700 km per second. Within about 25 hours, it struck Earth’s magnetosphere, generating a G4-level geomagnetic storm classified as “severe”.

Why Ladakh Saw a Rare Red Aurora

When charged solar particles collide with Earth’s magnetic shield, they excite atmospheric gases and produce auroras. In polar regions, these usually appear green. Hanle, however, lies far south of typical auroral zones. Observers there saw the upper fringes of the auroral display, which glow red due to excited oxygen atoms at altitudes above 300 kilometres. Such displays are extremely rare over the Indian subcontinent.

Solar Maximum and Rising Space Weather Risks

Scientists from ISRO have cautioned that more such events are likely as the Sun approaches solar maximum, the most active phase of its roughly 11-year cycle. The January 2026 event was also classified as an S4-level solar radiation storm, indicating a dangerous surge of high-energy protons. Data from India’s Aditya-L1 mission showed that Earth’s magnetosphere was compressed unusually close to the planet, briefly exposing even geostationary satellites to harsh solar winds.

Important Facts for Exams

• X-class solar flares are the most intense category of solar eruptions.
• G4 geomagnetic storms are labelled “severe” on space weather scales.
• Red auroras occur at higher altitudes than green auroras.
• Solar maximum is the most active phase of the Sun’s 11-year cycle.

Why Solar Storms Matter for India

Strong geomagnetic storms can disrupt power grids by inducing electric currents that damage transformers and trigger blackouts. They can also heat the upper atmosphere, increasing drag on satellites and degrading GPS, communication, banking, and navigation systems. During the January storm, astronauts aboard the International Space Station were advised to remain in shielded areas due to elevated radiation. India’s early-warning capabilities, led by the Aditya-L1 spacecraft positioned 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, provide critical lead time to protect satellites and infrastructure, turning a dramatic red sky into a lesson in planetary vulnerability.