Auroras are being observed around the globe, following the earthly arrival of a pair of solar storms. The event started on June 22, and is expected to continue through the 23rd.
Northern lights from this phenomenon have been viewed as far south as Long Island, off the coast of New York — a latitude at which northern lights are only rarely seen.
The first coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the sun on June 21, arriving at Earth two days later. The peak of the energy blast was measured as a G4 (severe) event by the standard US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) rating system.
"The 22 Jun CME is expected to arrive late on day two (24 Jun) with G2 levels at onset, and will likely enhance geomagnetic conditions to G3 (Strong) levels in the early hours of day three (25 Jun), before conditions taper off over the day," NOAA officials reported.
The most stunning images of northern lights are produced by exposing images for long periods of time. However, many incredible photographs of the current displays are coming from amateur astronomers, shooting with nothing but their cell phones.
The summit of Mount Washington – the highest point in New England – is usually covered by clouds, but the skies were clear on the night of June 22, providing visitors with a magnificent display of northern lights. Images of the display have provided a boon of traffic for the Mount Washington Observatory's new Instagram account.
Amateur astronomers around the globe have taken to social media outlets to share photographs of the sight, with their posts starting to trend on Twitter soon thereafter. Seen from Earth, auroras are usually green and purple. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are however also seeing red lights in the latest display.
The storm is also producing a matching display of Aurora Australis in the southern hempisphere. This event was witnessed over large areas of Australia, including Victoria and Tasmania.
"The storms we're currently experiencing have merged to create the most intense event since September 2005. And a third another has just erupted from the Sun — meaning the night-time lights of the Aurora Australis may continue for several more days," News.com.au reported from down under.
Solar storms can play havoc with electronic devices, including satellites, and they can interrupt electrical grids. These storms arise when energy released by the sun heads toward Earth and slams into our planet's magnetic field. The latest events are roughly as strong as a similar storm that struck us in March 2015.
