A series strong solar storms As the skies turned colorful in the Northern Hemisphere this weekend, people witnessed spectacular displays. northern Lights United States, Canada, Europe, China and beyond. Officials said the dazzling light displays could continue for several more days.
Aurora borealis (the phenomenon more commonly known as the northern lights) occurs due to a molecular collision in the upper levels of Earth’s atmosphere that causes bursts of energy in the form of visible light. Aurora borealis has a counterpart: aurora australis or southern lights, the same phenomenon in the southern hemisphere. These light shows can be seen for up to half the year in certain locations near the two poles of the planet, but it’s rare to see them in areas closer to the equator, so Spectacles over North AmericaThe last few days in Europe and other places at similar latitudes have been very pleasant.
The Aurora will extend from the poles to the equator during periods of intense space weather activity, and has in the past been known to reach as far as the continental United States during times when activity is particularly extreme. This was also the case at the weekend; An unusually powerful geomagnetic storm has reached Earth, setting the stage for a series of explosive night scenes around the world. The geomagnetic storm that arrived Friday was a historic G5, the highest level on a ranking scale that starts at G1, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Additional Aurora sightings (weather permitting) may be possible this evening through tomorrow! A Geomagnetic Storm Watch has been issued for Sunday, May 12. G4-G5 geomagnetic storm periods possible! 👀 https://t.co/iibFBuyzXo
— National Weather Service (@NWS) May 11, 2024
A solar storm of this magnitude has not touched Earth in decades. It comes amid a parade of coronal mass ejections — explosions of magnetic field and other solar material from the sun’s corona that can cause geomagnetic storms — that continue to fuel northern lights displays through Friday and Saturday. The next solar bursts are expected to reach Earth around noon Sunday, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, which has issued a geomagnetic storm watch predicting possibly G4 or G5 events following upcoming coronal mass ejections.
“Clocks at this level are very rare,” the space weather forecast center said in a statement on Saturday. He noted that upcoming solar activity could potentially cause the aurora to “become visible over much of the northern half of the country and perhaps from Alabama to northern California.”
Ahead of the next solar flares, let’s take a look at some of the bright auroras happening in different parts of the world so far this weekend.
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On: It’s “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” May 12, 2024