عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Varieties

Media Oasis Keeps Pace with Major Events in Saudi Arabia

The Media Oasis presents the Kingdom’s major national projects to international media delegations - (SPA)
The Media Oasis presents the Kingdom’s major national projects to international media delegations - (SPA)
TT
TT

Media Oasis Keeps Pace with Major Events in Saudi Arabia

The Media Oasis presents the Kingdom’s major national projects to international media delegations - (SPA)
The Media Oasis presents the Kingdom’s major national projects to international media delegations - (SPA)

The fourth edition of the Media Oasis was launched in Riyadh on Friday with the aim of developing media coverage on major occasions and national events.

The Media Oasis, which coincides with the Kingdom’s hosting of three high-level summits this week, provides a cutting-edge space and an interactive environment for media professionals.

Stretching over 18,000 square meters, the Media Oasis showcases over 30 major national transformational projects, including NEOM, across six pavilions highlighting the developmental accomplishments of these initiatives.

The Oasis includes seven zones, namely the Welcome Zone, the Saudi Hospitality, the Communication, the Oasis Valley, the Cultural Bridge, and the Oasis Suites and Theater.

The Media Oasis is held in collaboration with key entities such as the Ministry of Sports, the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate, the Aseer Region Development Authority, the Diriyah Company, the Saudi Fund for Development, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, the Saudi Export and Import (EXIM) Bank, the Sports Boulevard Project, the Konoz Initiative, the Royal Institute of Traditional Arts (TRITA), and Jahez Company.

Saudi Arabia hosted on Friday the first Saudi-African Union Summit, and will hold on Saturday the Extraordinary Arab Summit and the Extraordinary Islamic Summit to discuss the developments in Gaza.

Most Viewed

 
 
Varieties

Northern Lights Dazzle Much Farther South than Normal. Here’s What’s behind the Show

The northern lights appear over Anchorage, Alaska, early the morning of Friday, Oct.. 11, 2024. (AP)
The northern lights appear over Anchorage, Alaska, early the morning of Friday, Oct.. 11, 2024. (AP)
TT
TT

Northern Lights Dazzle Much Farther South than Normal. Here’s What’s behind the Show

The northern lights appear over Anchorage, Alaska, early the morning of Friday, Oct.. 11, 2024. (AP)
The northern lights appear over Anchorage, Alaska, early the morning of Friday, Oct.. 11, 2024. (AP)

Another in a series of unusually strong solar storms hitting Earth produced stunning skies full of pinks, purples, greens and blues farther south than normal, including into parts of Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York City.

There were no immediate reports of disruptions to power and communications.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a severe geomagnetic storm alert on Wednesday after an outburst from the sun was detected earlier in the week. Such a storm increases the chance of auroras — also known as northern lights — and can temporarily disrupt power and radio signals.

NOAA's Friday forecast shows continued higher-than-normal activity, but the chances for another overnight show are slim farther south of Canada and the northern Plains states.

What causes northern lights? The sun sends more than heat and light to Earth — it sends energy and charged particles known as the solar wind. But sometimes that solar wind becomes a storm. The sun's outer atmosphere occasionally “burps” out huge bursts of energy called corona mass ejections. They produce solar storms, also known as geomagnetic storms, according to NOAA.

The Earth's magnetic field shields us from much of it, but particles can travel down the magnetic field lines along the north and south poles and into Earth’s atmosphere.

When the particles interact with the gases in our atmosphere, they can produce light — blue and purple from nitrogen, green and red from oxygen.

Why have there been so many solar storms lately? Solar activity increases and decreases in a cycle that last about 11 years, astronomers say. The sun appears to be near the peak of that cycle, known as a solar maximum. It's not clear exactly when the cycle will begin to slow.

In May, the sun shot out its biggest flare in almost two decades. That came days after severe solar storms pummeled Earth and triggered auroras in unaccustomed places across the Northern Hemisphere.

How can you best see the northern lights? NOAA advises those who hope to see the northern lights to get away from city lights.

The best viewing time is usually within an hour or two before or after midnight, and the agency says the best occasions are around the spring and fall equinoxes due to the way the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic field.