Under the cover of late September nights, the skies above Jiamusi in Heilongjiang Province in the Chinese mainland burst into waves of green, pink and purple after Earth weathered back-to-back geomagnetic storms. It was a cosmic light show you won’t forget! 🌌✨
Between 9 am on September 29 and 2 pm on September 30, our planet experienced a 12-hour minor storm followed by a three-hour strong storm. Scientists track these events with the global Kp index, and this time it soared to 7.33—enough to spark dazzling auroras over 46° N latitude.
What’s wild is that there were no major solar flares or giant coronal holes to blame. Experts suspect a high-speed solar wind stream from a coronal hole did most of the heavy lifting—perhaps teamed up with a stealth coronal mass ejection for extra punch. 🚀☀️
For travelers, photographers and space buffs across Asia (and beyond!), this stunning show is a reminder: our planet’s magnetic shield is alive with surprises. Keep your cameras ready and your star-gazing apps locked on—you never know when the next aurora might dance above you! 🌠
Reference(s):
Stunning auroras spotted in NE China after geomagnetic storm
cgtn.com
