CNA – An intense solar storm has the northern lights gracing the skies farther south than usual.
A blast of superhot material from the sun late last week hurled scorching gases known as plasma toward Earth at nearly three million kilometres per hour (km/h), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Monday.
Earth felt the brunt of the storm Sunday, according to NOAA, with forecasters warning operators of power plants and spacecraft of the potential for disruption.
Auroras were reported across parts of Europe and Asia. In the United States (US), skygazers took in the sights from Wisconsin, Colorado, California, New Mexico and even Arizona – mostly a reddish glow instead of the typical green shimmer.
“I don’t want any expectations of these green curtains moving back and forth” so far south, said programme coordinator at the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centre in Boulder, Colorado Bill Murtagh.
Although conditions have eased, auroras were still be visible as far south as South Dakota and Iowa late on Monday and yesterday if skies are dark.
The farther north, the better the show as the energised particles interact with the atmosphere closer to Earth, according to Murtagh.
The farther south, the curvature of the Earth cuts off the most dazzling scenes as the particles interact higher in the atmosphere.
Murtagh said light pollution in Boulder prevented him from seeing the auroras on Sunday night.
But there could be more opportunities as the solar cycle ramps up.
“Stay tuned, more to come,” he said.
This was the third severe geomagnetic storm since the current 11-year solar cycle began in 2019, according to NOAA.
The agency expects the cycle to peak in 2024. For those down under, the southern lights should provide equally good shows, Murtagh said.
