Northern lights illuminate sky as extreme solar storm hit Earth, netizens share STUNNING photos and videos
The northern lights put up a dazzling display over UK and parts of Europe on Friday. The rare appearance surprised residents of the region, who took to social media in large numbers to share photographs of the stunning phenomenon.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) said that an extreme (G5) solar storm since 2003 reached Earth leading to spectacular celestial light shows in skies from Tasmania to Britain.
In a post on X, NOAA SWPC stated, "Extreme (G5) conditions reached Earth at 6.54 pm EDT." Geomagnetic storming is expected to continue into the weekend, as many more earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CME) are in transit."
The extremely intense solar storm also generated amazing celestial light shows from Tasmania to Britain, Canada, and the United States, as northern lights were observed by inhabitants in locations where they are not normally visible.
Northern lights were also seen in Scotland and other locations, such as England's Hertford. They also appeared in Germany and Switzerland. People took to social media to share photos of auroras throughout northern Europe and Oceania.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning after a solar outburst hit Earth on Friday afternoon. The explosion occurred earlier than planned, and its repercussions will extend over the weekend and potentially into next week.
The American agency alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit to take precautions, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
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