Skywatchers across America might get another chance to witness nature’s most dazzling light show tonight. After yesterday’s intense geomagnetic storm painted the skies with vibrant auroras, experts predict the celestial display could continue through tonight and into early Sunday. The ongoing solar activity has created perfect conditions for the northern lights to potentially be visible much farther south than usual.
The spectacular show comes courtesy of our sun, which recently launched multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – massive bursts of solar material – toward Earth. These solar particles, traveling at incredible speeds up to 4.3 million miles per hour, interact with Earth’s magnetic field to create the shimmering auroras. Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov explains we’re currently in the thick of this solar storm, with effects potentially lasting another 24 hours.
But that’s not all – another smaller CME is expected to arrive late Sunday, possibly extending the aurora viewing opportunities into Monday. While this second wave likely won’t be as strong as the current storm, it could still produce beautiful displays at higher latitudes. For those who missed last night’s show or want an encore, tonight might offer another rare chance to see the northern lights from unexpected locations across the U.S.
