Aurora Across the United States: Rare Solar Storm Leads to a Stunning Display

Stunning displays of aurora visible to viewers across the US thanks to a historic solar storm.

Aurora spotted on May 10th in northern Alabama. Credit: Ella Rose Bartlett.

Aurora stunned viewers across the United States Friday night after a historic solar storm hit Earth. The storm, the largest seen in nearly 20 years, occurred after two sunspots merged, sending an intense amount of energy toward Earth as flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) exploded from the region.

When the storm hit the planet, high-energy particles were caught in the magnetosphere, creating a dazzling display.

May 10th aurorae as seen from Middle Tennessee. Credit: Cassian Crouch.

Typically, aurorae are only visible near the poles because the Earth’s magnetic field lines meet at these locations, sending high-energy particles in the upper atmosphere crashing into each other. When large geomagnetic storms hit our planet, aurora can sometimes be seen from other locations as the excess particles scatter.

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