Bright lights dazzled the sky with colors and beauty
A powerful solar storm, part of an unusual series of solar storms hitting Earth, produced a stunning sky filled with shades of pink, purple, green, and blue, reaching further south than usual, including parts of Germany, the UK, New England, and New York.
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Sean Dahl, a forecaster at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, said, “It was a very wide display once again.”
He mentioned that the center received reports of northern lights sightings as far south as New Mexico. “It’s been a fantastic year.” No immediate reports of power outages or communication disruptions were received.
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According to Indian Express, such storms increase the likelihood of auroras – also known as the northern lights – and may temporarily disrupt power and wireless communication signals.
NOAA’s Friday forecast shows continued higher-than-normal activity, but the chances of another nighttime display as far south as Canada’s southern regions and the Northern Plains states are slim.
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What causes the northern lights?
The sun sends more than just heat and light to Earth – it also sends energy and charged particles known as solar winds. But sometimes, these solar winds turn into a storm.
The sun’s outer atmosphere occasionally “burps” massive energy explosions called coronal mass ejections, which create solar storms, also known as geomagnetic storms, according to NOAA.
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Earth’s magnetic field protects us from most of these, but particles can travel along the magnetic field lines toward the north and south poles, reaching Earth’s atmosphere.
When these particles interact with the gases in our atmosphere, they can produce light – blue and purple from nitrogen, green and red from oxygen.
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Why have there been so many solar storms lately?
Astronomers explain that solar activity increases and decreases in a cycle that lasts about 11 years.
It appears the sun is nearing the peak of that cycle, known as the solar maximum.
There will likely be more in the future.
Dahl said, “We’re still in the grip of the sun’s maximum, and it’s unlikely to start fading until early 2026.”
He added, “We’re in for more experiences like we had last night.”
Typically, the best time for viewing is an hour or two before or after midnight, according to NOAA’s advice, while staying away from city lights.
