05/11/2024

Most Extreme Solar Storm in 20 Years Brings Beautiful Northern Lights

The major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere caused stunning aurora displays

This is the moment for which aurora chasers have been waiting.

For the first time since 2003, an extreme geomagnetic storm — the most severe of its kind — hit Earth on Friday evening. Beautiful green, purple and red dancing aurora displays, also known as the northern lights, were spotted across Europe and very low latitudes in the United States, as far south as Alabama and Florida.

If you missed Friday’s show, more geomagnetic activity is expected to continue on Saturday and potentially Sunday. As of Saturday morning, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecast called for another strong geomagnetic storm, although slightly weaker than Friday’s show.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.