Charged particles from the sun created a stunning display of auroras from late Sunday into Monday, reaching as far south as the Midwest.
On Sunday, the NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a warning about a geomagnetic storm, anticipating the arrival of solar wind particles on Earth.
This storm was triggered by an uptick in solar wind stemming from a coronal hole, which is a darker segment of the sun visible in satellite imagery.
The storm escalated to a level of three on the Earth magnetic storm scale, resulting in a beautiful show of the Aurora Borealis, seen even south of Michigan.
One fortunate air traveler managed to catch the Aurora while flying from New York to San Francisco Sunday evening. Keegan Wernicke shared on social media, “Always look through the plane window.”
The SWPC evaluates geomagnetic strength using a 9-point KP index. Earlier that day, the KP index reached 6.67, triggering active auroras.
That night, the auroras were visible across various northern U.S. regions, including the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast.
Bright green lights were also captured on camera at Isle Royale National Park in Michigan.
There’s even a time-lapse video showcasing the auroras that lit up Alton, New Hampshire, for nearly an hour on Sunday night.
Although more auroral displays were anticipated for Monday night, they were not expected to be as intense as the previous evening’s lights.
