{"id":11712,"date":"2024-05-12T13:17:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-12T13:17:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=11712"},"modified":"2024-05-12T13:17:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-12T13:17:00","slug":"warning-issued-as-extreme-solar-storm-behind-the-northern-lights-is-declared-a-level-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=11712","title":{"rendered":"Warning issued as \u2018extreme\u2019 solar storm behind the Northern Lights is declared a \u2018Level 5\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Northern and Southern Lights may have dazzled people across the globe on Friday night, but now a warning has been issued for the cause of the celestial spectacle.<\/p>\n

Logging onto social media this morning probably meant that you were hit by countless photos of the incredible Northern and Southern Lights that lit up the night\u2019s sky on Friday.<\/p>\n

If you missed the dazzling display, don\u2019t worry, because experts are hopeful that the Lights will return on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

However, despite being a heavenly sight that is on many of our bucket lists, the cause of the aurora borealis and aurora australis is a lot more scientific.<\/p>\n

Credit: Andrew Chin \/ Getty<\/em><\/p>\n

Per\u00a0BBC News,<\/a>\u00a0the phenomenon was the result of one of the strongest geomagnetic storms for over 20 years hitting the Earth. And when charged light particles from the Sun\u00a0collide with our planet\u2019s atmospheric gases, they energize atoms and molecules, causing them to emit light.<\/p>\n

The storm was so strong, millions of people in the US, UK, and across the globe were able to see the Lights for the very first time.<\/p>\n

But now there are concerns about how strong the geomagnetic storm has become.<\/p>\n

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)\u2019s Space Weather Prediction Center has declared Friday\u2019s \u201cunusual\u201d solar event an \u201cextreme\u201d G5 geomagnetic storm,\u00a0CBS News<\/a>\u00a0reports.<\/p>\n

The Aurora Forecast from Saturday night\u2019s events. Credit: NOAA<\/em><\/p>\n

From a scale of G1 to G5, G5 is the highest, with the\u00a0NOAA detailing<\/a>\u00a0how the solar storm could impact power systems on Earth and even space satellite operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWidespread voltage control problems and protective system problems can occur, some grid systems may experience complete collapse or blackouts. Transformers may experience damage,\u201d the NOAA website states.<\/p>\n

Spacecraft operations \u201cmay experience extensive surface charging, problems with orientation, uplink\/downlink and tracking satellites,\u201d the Center adds.<\/p>\n

Issues can also occur to pipeline currents, satellite navigation, and \u201clow-frequency radio navigation\u201d.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the Northern and Southern Lights are completely harmless to humans.<\/p>\n

It was 21 years ago in October 2003 that the planet saw the last G5 geomagnetic storm. CBS News reports how that storm damaged transformers in South Africa and resulted in power outages across Sweden.<\/p>\n

The Northern Lights attracts a crowd in England. Credit: Ian Forsyth \/ Getty<\/em><\/p>\n

But, on a positive not, more and more people will be seeing the Northern and Southern Lights for the very first time, with Friday\u2019s dazzling displaying reaching as far south as Alabama and northern California in the United States.<\/p>\n

People across the globe took to social media to share their incredible experiences, with those who missed out hoping to catch a glimpse of the legendary displays later tonight. More information can be seen below\u2026<\/p>\n

What are the Northern Lights?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The awe-inspiring phenomenon manifests as vibrant, swirling curtains of light dancing across the night sky, displaying a mesmerizing array of colors ranging from emerald green to rosy pink and fiery scarlet.<\/p>\n

This celestial spectacle is created by the interaction of charged particles from the Sun with gases in the Earth\u2019s atmosphere. As these charged particles collide with atmospheric gases, they energize atoms and molecules, causing them to emit light.<\/p>\n

The Northern Lights over Rochester, New York. Credit: Anadolu \/ Getty<\/em><\/p>\n

The distinct colors of the aurora are a result of different gases in the Earth\u2019s atmosphere being energized by the incoming charged particles. Nitrogen and oxygen are the two most abundant gases in the atmosphere, with oxygen atoms emitting predominantly green light \u2013 the most common color observed in the Northern Lights.<\/p>\n

Nitrogen atoms, on the other hand, emit hues of purple, blue, and pink.<\/p>\n