A stunning display of Northern Lights may once again light up skies across the United States as a powerful geomagnetic storm impacts Earth. This is one of the strongest geomagnetic storms of the current solar cycle.
It continues to impact Earth’s magnetic field, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The aurora could be visible as far south as Illinois, Pennsylvania, and even Nebraska overnight from Nov. 11–12, as multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun reach our planet.
A Solar Storm Sparks Dazzling Displays
Vivid auroras were reported across North America and Europe over the weekend after a severe G4 geomagnetic storm rattled Earth’s magnetosphere. The first two CMEs—massive bursts of plasma and magnetic field from the sun—struck in rapid succession, triggering an intense wave of green, purple, and red auroras.
Space.com reports that this storm, driven by sunspot AR4274, ranks among the strongest of Solar Cycle 25. “The northern lights put on a stunning display last night with auroras reported as far south as Mexico,” wrote Space.com editor Daisy Dobrijevic.
