A luxurious ballet of Northern and Southern Lights can be observed in the skies of New Zealand, the United States and France on the night of Wednesday 12 November to Thursday 13, a rare phenomenon caused by intense solar activity.
The event, which began earlier this week, is expected to last until Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said, adding that the northern lights could be observed as far away as Northern California or Alabama, in the southern United States.
This very rare phenomenon at low latitudes is caused by solar flares, namely ejections of particles from the Sun, which trigger geomagnetic storms when they reach Earth. A grade 4 out of 5 hurricane was observed overnight from Tuesday through Wednesday, and NOAA forecast the possibility of a hurricane of the same grade on Thursday, after a new solar flare.
The magic of the Northern Lights fascinates the whole world
Last night, many Americans managed to take impressive photos of the sky colored with fluorescent red, green or even pink streaks. Last year, the world experienced a level 5 geomagnetic storm, the maximum level, the first in twenty years resulting in a spectacular Northern Lights ballet display.
Beyond these incredible views, these storms can also disrupt communications systems and cause disruption to satellites and overloading power grids. Because of these risks, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ space company had to postpone the launch of its New Glenn rocket on Wednesday.
In 1859, a powerful solar storm brought the northern lights to Hawaii and, unusually, triggered telegraph lines. Another solar storm, in 1972, may have triggered US underwater magnetic mines off the coast of Vietnam.
To admire this phenomenon, the curious and astronomy enthusiasts are advised to stay away from cities, as light pollution affects the visibility of the auroras, and to carry a mobile phone or smartphone, which can help reveal them otherwise invisible to the naked eye.
