In the dark hours before dawn in the Noto Peninsula, the Northern Lights painted a stunning display in the sky, enchanting those who were lucky enough to witness this rare spectacle further south than typically observed. The scenic Shiroyone Senmaida terraced rice paddies served as a picturesque backdrop for the aurora borealis captured on camera by an Asahi Shimbun reporter in the early hours of October 11th.
The aurora borealis, usually synonymous with polar regions, made a striking appearance in Wajima, with its reddish hue flickering on camera screens as observers marveled at its beauty. This celestial phenomenon was a consequence of a significant solar flare explosion on the sun on October 9th, leading to a geomagnetic storm on Earth that resulted in the mesmerizing lights in the sky. Takuya Usami, a curator at the Mantenboshi observatory in Noto town, also captured images of the aurora, pointing out the increasing accessibility of such sightings and the growing interest in solar activities among the public.