A series of solar energy explosions, including a mass coronal ejection described as “cannibalistic,” have struck Earth, bringing stunning auroras to parts of northern America and much of Canada.
Northern Lights captured over Burntside Lake in northern Minnesota. (Photo source: Steve Burns).
Last weekend (from August 2 to 4), astronomy enthusiasts in several regions of the United States had the opportunity to witness the Northern Lights as a series of solar eruptions penetrated our planet’s atmosphere.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States, the northern lights—also known as aurora borealis—were visible throughout the week in parts of northern Washington, Idaho, Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and Maine. These latitudes are significantly lower than what we typically observe during magical light displays.
Meanwhile, a much stronger auroral display could be seen in northern Canada and Alaska.
The auroras over the weekend were a result of several strong solar radiation streams attacking our planet’s atmosphere in late July. These hot, fast-moving solar particles are known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which occur when tangled magnetic field lines on the Sun suddenly break and realign, thereby ejecting plasma into space.
When a CME strikes Earth, these energetic solar particles glide along our planet’s magnetic field lines toward the North and South Poles, charging molecules in the atmosphere along the way and causing them to emit energy in the form of colorful light.
Stronger CMEs tend to produce more expansive auroras; for example, in May, the strongest geomagnetic storm in over 20 years resulted in auroras visible as far south as Florida.
