Northern lights shimmer in US sky as solar storm hits Earth

The northern lights, or aurora borealis, were dancing in many places in the world, including the U.S. sky, as a geomagnetic storm triggered by a flare of solar energy started to hit the Earth on Monday, Oct. 11.

Though the wave of spectacular light this time shimmered at lower latitudes than usual, the auroras were visible as far south as New York, Wisconsin, and Washington states, CNN reported.

Parts of northern New England were also able to see the northern lights on Monday night. Aurora borealis are a rare sight in Connecticut, according to NBC Connecticut.

Aurora borealis happen where energized particles from the Sun slam into Earth’s upper atmosphere, but our planet’s magnetic field protects us from the onslaught. As Earth’s magnetic field redirects the particles toward the North Pole, the process transforms into a cinematic atmospheric phenomenon.

According to CNN, this latest geomagnetic storm was triggered on Saturday by a strong coronal mass ejection—a hugely energetic explosion of light, solar material, and energy from the Sun.

U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have issued a geomagnetic storm watch, calling this storm a G2, or moderate event on its 1 to 5 scale. The agency also noted that the possible effects of the storm are power grid fluctuations, voltage alarms at higher latitudes, spacecraft orientation irregularities, and increased drag on low-Earth orbiters.

The solar winds can also impact satellites, GPS, airlines, rockets, and astronauts working in space.

This storm continues on Tuesday and Wednesday, CNN said, citing the UK’s Met Office.

A lot of social media users spotted the dazzling display from the northern lights.