Aurora Borealis lights the sky in stunning display

Whether in the middle of finishing dinner or getting ready for bed, people around the Midwest stopped what they were doing Tuesday evening to bundle up and head outside, looking north for a glimpse at the Aurora Borealis.

It wasn’t hard to find as swaths of bright red and neon green lit up the sky across the United States, reaching as far south as Alabama and Florida.

Also called the Northern Lights, the phenomenon is formed from interactions between solar wind coming from the sun and the Earth’s magnetic field.

A Coronal Mass Ejection is when a the sun expels a large cloud of plasma and other particles.

In a video on X, Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center, said two of three anticipated CMEs reached Earth on Tuesday.

“They packed quite a punch,” Dahl said. “We’ve already reached G4 severe level conditions due to those CME arrivals... These two were profoundly more stronger than we anticipated.”

Geomagnetic storms are measured on a five-level scale, G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).

Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service said they believe Earth was and is still being impacted by the arrival of the first two CMEs.

“We believe the final and most energetic CME has yet to arrive and may still be on track for a midday or so arrival.” Though the lights will not be visible if the storm hits during the day, keep an eye out once the sun sets.

The sun is near the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, making auroras more common and widespread.

Though viewing the Northern Lights with the naked eye is an unforgettable experience, the geomagnetic storms, especially those this severe, bring possible disturbances with them.

The Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch Wednesday, saying “detrimental impacts to some of our critical infrastructure technology are possible, but mitigation is possible.”

Severe solar storms can disrupt satellite operations, GPS navigation and high-frequency radio transmissions.

Thirty-five years ago in Quebec and part of the U.S. northeast, a CME caused a power failure resulting in lack of electricity for more than 6 million people for nine hours.

Fortunately, geomagnetic storms are not dangerous to human bodies protected by Earth’s blanket of atmosphere. Instead, the biggest impact they provide is the stunning visuals lighting up the night sky.

The stronger the interaction between the CME and Earth’s magnetic field, the farther south the aurora can glow.

The NOAA predicts G4 levels to extend through Thursday before tapering back to a G1 on Friday.

To catch a glimpse, find a dark area away from city lights, such as a park or rural location, and check your local weather — clouds can easily block the show. Using “night mode” on a smartphone camera can show colors not visible with the naked eye.