Article content
Another in a series of unusually strong solar storms to hit Earth produced stunning skies full of pink, purple, green and blue further south than normal, including parts of Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York.
Article content
We apologize, but this video has not loaded.
The northern lights shine much further south than normal. Here's what's behind the show Back to video
We apologize, but this video has not loaded.
There were no immediate reports of power or communications outages.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a severe geomagnetic storm warning on Wednesday after a solar flare was detected earlier in the week. Such a storm increases the likelihood of auroras – also known as northern lights – and can temporarily disrupt power and radio signals.
NOAA's Friday forecast shows continued above-normal activity, but chances of another overnight show are slim further south in Canada and in the northern Plains states.
What causes the 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 this solar wind becomes a storm. The Sun's outer atmosphere occasionally “burps” huge bursts of energy called corona mass ejections. They produce solar storms, also known as geomagnetic storms, according to NOAA.
Earth's magnetic field protects us from much of it, but particles can travel along magnetic field lines along the north and south poles and enter Earth's atmosphere.
When particles interact with gases in our atmosphere, they can produce light – blue and purple from nitrogen, green and red from oxygen.
Article content
-
People watch as an aurora borealis, also known as the aurora borealis, lights up the night sky from Montrose Point, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Chicago.Photo by Tyler Pasciak Lariviere /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
-
Aurora borealis, or aurora borealis, produced by a solar geomagnetic storm is seen over Washington, D.C. on October 10, 2024. Photo by LUCIE AUBOURG /AFP via Getty Images
-
An aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, shines in the night sky above apartment buildings in the New York City borough of Queens, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024.Photo by Daniel P. Derella /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
-
The northern lights shine in the sky near Irricana, north of Calgary, on Thursday, October 10, 2024. Gavin Young/PostmediaGavin Young/Post-media
-
Aurora borealis, or northern lights, produced by a solar geomagnetic storm are seen in Shenandoah National Park in Rileyville, Virginia, on October 10, 2024.Photo by SAUL LOEB /AFP
-
The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are seen over the Baltic Sea, near Kiel, northern Germany, on October 10, 2024. Photo by AXEL HEIMKEN /AFP
-
An aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is seen on Thursday, October 10, 2024, in Falmouth, Maine.Photo by David Sharp /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
-
An aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, lights up the night sky off Lake Michigan and the St. Joseph Lighthouse, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Joseph.Photo by Don Campbell /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
-
The Northern Lights light up the sky near Harrislee, Germany, Thursday, October 10, 2024.Photo by Benjamin Nolte /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
-
The Northern Lights are seen over Lake Haraldsted, near Ringsted, Thursday 10 October 2024.Photo by Mads Claus Rasmussen /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
-
The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are seen in the sky over Knaresborough, England, Friday, October 11, 2024.Photo by Andrew Hawkes /THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
All 11 photos for gallery
Function not available
Full screen is not supported in this browser version.
You can use a different browser or device to view in full screen.
Why have there been so many solar storms lately?
Solar activity waxes and wanes in a cycle that lasts about 11 years, astronomers say. The sun appears to be near the peak of this cycle, known as solar maximum. It's unclear exactly when the cycle will begin to slow.
In May, the sun shot its brightest in almost two decades. This happened days after severe solar storms hit Earth and triggered auroras in unknown places across the Northern Hemisphere.
What's the best way to see the northern lights?
NOAA advises those hoping to see the Northern Lights to stay away from city lights.
The best viewing time is usually an hour or two before or after midnight, and the agency says the best times are around the spring and fall equinoxes, due to the way the solar wind interacts with the Earth's magnetic field. Earth.
