Thursday Night (October 10th) people in Pennsylvania had the chance to see the Northern Lights. This is because a strong solar storm hit Earth allowing people all over the U.S. to have the chance to see the Aurora Borealis. These storms create beautiful auroras when charged particles from the sun collide with our atmosphere. It’s pretty rare for places like Pennsylvania to see the lights, but the storm was powerful enough to charge almost all of the US night sky. Solar storms happen regularly but they vary in intensity. Minor storms can happen several times in one month, but the stronger storms that allow Pennsylvania to see the lights are a lot less common.
Solar storms do not pose any danger to humans on the ground because of our planet’s atmosphere and magnetic field. They work together to shield us from the harmful effects of solar radiation. However, they can cause issues with technology by disrupting satellite communications and GPS signals. Astronauts in space or in high-altitude flights are exposed to higher amounts of radiation during these storms as well.
Scientists can predict these storms by monitoring the sun’s activity with satellites and observatories. They look at the sun, trying to see sunspots, solar flares, and CMEs (coronal mass ejections). They can track these solar winds as they move toward Earth by following the magnetic field as it rises above the solar corona.
So these solar winds were powerful enough to reach the lower altitudes of the US allowing even Pennsylvania residents to be able to see the beautiful Northern Lights.
