Heads up, stargazers! 🌠
The Earth got a cosmic surprise on Monday when a severe solar storm hit, bringing with it the chance to catch the northern lights in places you wouldn't expect! 🤩
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that from 3 p.m., we experienced a level-four geomagnetic storm. That's geek-speak for a super intense solar event! But don't worry, it's not going to get any wilder, according to NOAA.
“A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for aurora to be seen faintly as far south as Alabama and Northern California,” NOAA said. Yep, you read that right! Folks in the south might just get a glimpse of those magical lights usually reserved for our friends up north. 🌌
So, what's causing all this space drama? It's all thanks to coronal mass ejections—massive explosions of solar particles bursting from the sun. When these hit Earth's magnetic field, things get pretty exciting up there!
Eric Lagadec, an astrophysicist at the Côte d'Azur Observatory in France, tweeted: \"There are a lot of auroras now… If it lasts until nightfall here, we might be able to see some.\" Fingers crossed! 🤞
Even astronauts are getting in on the action! 🚀 On Sunday, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick shared a stunning photo of the aurora borealis taken from the International Space Station. Talk about a room with a view! 🌃
But it's not all fun and games. These solar storms can mess with high-frequency communications, disrupt satellites, and even cause power grid overloads. NOAA has given a heads-up to operators to take measures and keep everything running smoothly.
Back in May, we had the most powerful geomagnetic storms in 20 years, lighting up skies in the U.S., Europe, and Australia. And with the sun nearing its peak activity in its 11-year cycle, we might see more of these spectacular—and sometimes disruptive—events.
So grab a blanket, head outside, and look up! You might just catch a cosmic light show that'll light up your night. ✨
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
