Additional Coverage:
- Northern lights may be visible Thursday night as far south as Alabama and Northern California (nbcnews.com)
A powerful solar eruption is expected to create stunning northern lights visible in many northern US states and potentially as far south as Alabama and California.
The solar storm, caused by a burst of charged particles from the sun, is expected to reach Earth on Thursday evening. It is classified as “severe” by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
While Canada and northern US states will have the best views, auroras could also be visible in parts of California, Nevada, Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.
This is the strongest solar storm since May, when an even more intense event occurred. NOAA warns that the current storm could intensify and last through Friday.
While beautiful, solar storms can disrupt power grids and communications due to their impact on the Earth’s magnetic field. NOAA is monitoring the storm’s potential effects on recovery efforts from recent hurricanes.
The northern lights, usually seen at high latitudes, are a result of solar storms interacting with Earth’s atmosphere. NOAA maintains an aurora dashboard with forecasts and visibility maps for skywatchers.