On December 1, 2023, social media in Japan was buzzing with excitement as reports of aurora sightings poured in from all over Hokkaido. The unexpected and magical celestial show left many in awe and wonder.

Amidst the excitement, Ryo Arai (@ryo_pippuskiing), who observed the aurora in Pippu Town, captured the moving moment in a stunning time-lapse video. Under a sky of twinkling stars, the footage shows a crimson aurora dancing, offering a different kind of fantastical beauty compared to still photographs.

今夜、北海道中で観測された低緯度オーロラ
比布町内でも見られたのでタイムラプスに
一番強く光っていた時には肉眼でもわずかに赤く輝いているのを見ることができました
いや本当、めっちゃ感動した… pic.twitter.com/48FJNHJkCt

— 新井遼_スキーといちごの町ぴっぷ町の元広報担当(Ryo) (@ryo_pippuskiing) December 1, 2023

Source: @ryo_pippuskiing's post

We spoke with Mr. Arai about his experience witnessing this rare celestial event.

Auroras are a natural phenomenon that occurs when plasma, generated by explosions on the sun's surface (solar flares), reaches the Earth. Unlike the green auroras seen in the Arctic and Nordic countries, those visible at lower latitudes like Hokkaido appear red.

The aurora spotted across a wide area from northern to eastern Hokkaido is believed to be the result of a solar flare that occurred on Wednesday, November 29. With the sun currently in an active phase of its cycle, it's said that there is a high probability of seeing auroras in Hokkaido again until 2025.

Witnessing an aurora, a rare sight in Hokkaido that has not been seen for several years, would surely be a memory to last a lifetime.

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