Buzz
According to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, a strong geomagnetic storm struck the heliosphere on September 13 and 14, possibly making the northern lights visible as far south as Alabama in the next few days.
On September 17, the agency warned that the two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) detected over the weekend could lead to disruptions in Earth’s power grid, satellites, and high-frequency radio. But for skywatchers, the storm could turn the sky into a glowing display of green, pink, and purple across the northern U.S.
Geomagnetic storms occur when CMEs and solar winds disturb Earth's magnetosphere. These winds carry charged particles from the Sun that interact with gases in Earth’s atmosphere, producing colorful lights near the poles. Typically, the northern lights are visible only within the auroral oval, a region that covers the Arctic areas of Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, and Canada.
Intense geomagnetic storms can push charged particles into lower latitudes. After a G5-level storm in May 2024, the northern lights were visible in Oklahoma and Florida. In November 2023, the aurora borealis even appeared as far south as the Netherlands, surprising many residents far from the Arctic circle.
Despite its steady appearance from Earth, the Sun’s surface is highly dynamic. It follows an 11-year solar cycle during which radiation eruptions, like CMEs and solar flares, increase in frequency and intensity, traveling through space and interacting with Earth's magnetosphere.
This interaction creates the northern lights, but it can also cause power outages and radio blackouts. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, the recent alert warned of potential voltage irregularities, increased drag on low Earth orbit satellites, and interruptions to satellite navigation and high-frequency radio systems. If you're within the predicted aurora zone, and the weather permits, it’s a great time to catch the show.
The largest geomagnetic storm ever recorded occurred in September 1859. During this G5-level event, solar flares created northern lights visible from Mexico to Hawaii. These lights were so bright that miners in Colorado thought they were seeing the sunrise, and people in New England could read well past dusk.
While the northern lights this week won't be as bright as those historic displays, they're still worth seeing—especially if a trip to the Arctic isn't in your immediate plans.
