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Aurora Borealis lights up the skies across the Region of Murcia
Strong solar activity made the northern lights visible in Cieza, Moratalla and other parts of southern Spain
Murcia isn’t a place you expect to see the northern lights, but this week the sky put on a rare show. A strong solar storm lit up the night, with auroras spotted in places like the Almorchón road in Cieza and near La Risca Reservoir in Moratalla.
The beautiful solar show happened late on Monday and into early Tuesday, January 20. The next day, social media was flooded with pictures of the skies streaked green and red. A sighting of the northern lights this far south is rare, although not unprecedented. Similar auroras were seen in Spain and other parts of Europe in 2024 and 2025, when strong solar storms pushed the lights beyond their usual Arctic range.
Experts say this happens because the Sun is near the peak of its 11-year cycle, which makes strong flares and solar storms more likely. These storms can push the northern lights further south than usual. While it’s impressive to see, the solar storm can impact satellites, aviation, and spacecraft. People on the ground generally don’t notice any direct impact, apart from the chance to see the northern lights further south than usual.
The lucky ones who caught the Aurora Borealis on camera were quick to share the images. Antonio Sevilla captured the aurora in Moratalla, showing it glowing over the reservoir. In areas with little or no light pollution and looking north, the lights were clearly visible. Meanwhile, Isabel Aroca shared stunning photos from Cieza.
The Sun has been very active lately, with powerful flares and coronal mass ejections. For a few hours this week, Murcia got a taste of a sky show normally only seen much further north. It wasn’t just Murcia, during the same storm, bright northern lights were reported in parts of Ireland, including Galway, Mayo, and Leitrim, with faint glows visible even further south. People in Denmark also saw the auroral activity, showing just how far these strong solar storms can reach.
Images: Isabel Aroca Martínez
