As powerful solar storms intensify, more kaleidoscope-like light shows can be seen across the northern hemisphere’s skies.
The extreme geomagnetic storm that first struck last week is expected to become more intense as several coronal mass ejections blast Earth’s outer atmosphere from space later on May 12, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
This means that many people who have not witnessed the rare Northern Lights may still have a chance to see it. People in the United States, Britain and other parts of the world reported seeing the northern lights on Saturday, which are usually only visible at night near the North Pole. However, a similar effect occurs near Antarctica.
At 12:26 pm EST on Sunday, the sun experienced a powerful solar flare – a huge burst of energy. This flare, classified as X-1.0, is one of the most powerful flares ever observed. Experts warned that the incident could cause temporary problems or signal loss for users of high-frequency radio communications.
“Solar flares emit large amounts of energy through space at the speed of light,” according to NASA. “Sometimes flares are accompanied by huge solar eruptions. These eruptions are called coronal mass ejections.”
A spacecraft “touched” the sun. That’s how it survived.
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Auroral color displays are the result of electrons ejected from the Sun during solar storms. When charged particles reach Earth, they enter the atmosphere along the Earth’s invisible magnetic field lines, where they interact with the air. When these particles hit the gas, they heat up and glow, according to NASA.
Colors vary depending on the type of atmospheric gas and its altitude. Oxygen emits red or blue light, while nitrogen emits green, blue or pink light. Recent intense solar storms have caused the auroras to become more widespread around the North Pole, allowing people living further south to see them.
Mix and match speed of light
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Similar to storm seasons on Earth, the sun experiences weather patterns that repeat every 11 years. The activity is at its most peaceful at the beginning and end of the cycle. But solar activity increases, peaking in the middle of the cycle, causing violent eruptions from the sun.
The cycle is currently reaching its peak, reaching its peak near mid-2025. That’s why reports of solar flares and coronal mass ejections—the bursts of plasma ejected from the sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona—are more abundant in the news.
Coronal mass ejections, such as coronal mass ejections (CME) that come close to Earth, are called “space weather.” Even though the Sun is approximately 93 million miles away, space weather can still affect Earth and the rest of the solar system.
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Scientists have limited ability to predict space weather. Here, the atmosphere and magnetic field protect people from the most harmful effects of solar radiation on health. However, these events could have catastrophic consequences for technology, disrupting power grids, telecommunications and GPS systems.
Although such events occur infrequently, a solar flare in March 1989, for example, caused a 12-hour power outage throughout Quebec, Canada. It also interfered with Radio Free Europe’s radio signals.
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Sunday’s flare was preceded by two other powerful solar flares erupting from the sun just before 9:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday, according to NASA. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which continuously observes the sun, also takes photos of these events. The first two flares were classified as X-5.8 and X-1.5 respectively.
NOAA, which is continuing to monitor the storm for the U.S. government, said the flares appeared to be associated with a sunspot estimated to be 15 times wider than Earth.
