An extraordinary celestial spectacle was observed over Berlin and the surrounding region on the night of January 19th to 20th, 2026: unusually powerful northern lights (Aurora borealis) temporarily bathed the sky in bright red and green tones – a phenomenon that is otherwise mainly seen in the polar regions. There was also an impressive sight on the TU Berlin campus.
The natural spectacle was triggered by a strong geomagnetic solar storm. High-energy particles from the solar wind hit the Earth’s magnetic field and cause atoms in the upper atmosphere to glow. When solar activity is particularly high, these effects can even reach as far as Central Europe.
One of the observers was Julian Harbeck, a bachelor’s student in physics at the TU Berlin. He works as a student assistant in the space technology department in the “RACCOON” project, where he is involved in the development of a mission simulation and ground station software. He also volunteers on the StudOps team in satellite operations. On this particular night, he captured the Northern Lights photographically from the Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
“I am excited about the Aurora Borealis because here we can observe the interactions of the Earth’s magnetic field with particles from our sun directly with the naked eye,” explains Harbeck. “Individual oxygen atoms are excited – as we normally see in the laboratory. Due to the enormous amount of particles during strong solar winds, these processes are even visible to us on the ground, despite the great distance.”
The phenomenon also plays a role in the space projects at the TU Berlin: “We have already tried to detect northern lights and so-called polar lights with our satellites Noctilucent Clouds to photograph. However, due to the spontaneity of such events, this is very complex. It is all the more impressive to be able to experience this celestial spectacle here in Berlin.”
A repetition of the phenomenon is fundamentally possible: According to forecasts, there is another chance of northern lights for the evening of January 20, 2026 – although probably no longer with the intensity of the previous night.
