A solar storm caused the aurora borealis phenomenon to be visible in the sky across much of the United States this weekend. From Appling to Bainbridge and Skidaway Island to Toccoa, people across the state shared their images with swirls of deep violets, greens and pinks that glowed around midnight Friday and again Saturday night. Possible sightings could continue this week.
The solar storm that's pushing sightings of the Northern Lights to lower latitudes is forecast to continue into the coming days, but its impact has likely peaked.
A powerful solar storm struck Earth, triggering spectacular celestial light shows in skies around the world — and threatening possible disruptions to satellites and power grids.
Scientists have updated their forecast for the current solar cycle, which usually lasts about 11 years. Solar activity is now expected to peak earlier and to be stronger than previously thought.
A previous forecast predicted a geomagnetic storm happening Wednesday and Thursday, but the sun's activity has greatly weakened over the past few days.
The Northern Lights, known scientifically as auroras borealis, are triggered by geomagnetic activity from the sun. They typically occur closer to the North Pole, near Alaska and Canada.
An article suggests the natural light show starts when disturbances on the sun pull on Earth's magnetic field, creating cosmic waves that launch electrons into the atmosphere to form the aurora.
