Solar storm slams into Earth and sparks stunning northern lights display.

LazyHippo · September 22, 2023

Aurora outburst above Fox Creek, Alberta, Canada captured by photographer and stormchaser Jo Majko. (Image credit: Jo Majko)

A powerful solar storm slammed into Earth on Sept. 18 and 19, triggering stunning aurora shows around the world.

Aurora enthusiasts can thank a massive solar tendril, called a solar filament, for the stunning light show. On Saturday (Sept. 16), it emerged from the sun and ejected a super-hot plasma eruption, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), toward Earth. The CME caused a disturbance in Earth's magnetic field, resulting in a geomagnetic storm that triggered auroras visible as far south as Colorado (+40.4N), Missouri (+40.3N) and Nebraska (+41N), according to Spaceweather.com.

During a solar storm, energized particles from the sun slam into Earth's atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph (72 million kph) and our planet's magnetic field then funnels the particles toward the poles. The supercharging of molecules in Earth's atmosphere triggers the colorful spectacles, which usually remain limited to areas near the poles at high latitudes for the aurora borealis (northern lights) and low latitudes for the aurora australis (southern lights).

Aurora borealis photographed by Kairo Kiitsak.

Kairo Kiitsak, meteorologist and hobby nature photographer captured these stunning aurora images from eastern Estonia, close to Liigvalla and Räitsvere.

"The northern lights amazed us with a really stunning display", Kiitsak told Space.com in an email.

"The colors of aurora were really vivid this time, It doesn't happen very often that you get to see all the colors," Kiitsak continued.

"Each display is special and eye-catching in its own way. We are currently moving towards the maximum of solar activity, exciting times are still ahead for the northern lights observers."

Craig Darnall witnessed and photographed his first-ever aurora light show during the recent outburst, while on a trip with his wife on the Snaefellsnes peninsula, Iceland. (Image credit: Craig Darnall)

This was my first time witnessing the Aurora Borealis and was absolutely mesmerized during the event." Darnall told Space.com in an email.

"It's like watching flames dance in a fire- it's totally captivating. Nothing else at that moment can break your gaze from the entrancing movement." Darnall continued.

Launch photographer for NASASpaceFlight.com, Nathan Barker, shifted his attention from rocket launches to the northern lights and took some incredible photographs over southern Ontario, Canada.

Northern Lights over southern Ontario, Canada photographed by Nathan Barker.

"A dazzlingly display of the Aurora Borealis as it danced across the sky last night over southern Ontario." Barker wrote on X (formally known as Twitter).

Amateur photographer Stephen Howells photographed the impressive aurora display at Lossiemouth West Beach, Moray, Scotland.

"I've seen the aurora many times since moving to Scotland and this is in my top 3 events in 7 years." Howells told Space.com in an email.

"I had been keeping my eye on the stats all day and knew it was going to be good as soon as it went dark. Arriving at the beach 20 minutes before I could make out rays already and was excited for what unfolded." Howells continued.

(Image credit: Stephen Howells)

Northern Lights above Dunluce Castle, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, captured by photographer North Coast Snapper. (Image credit: North Coast Snapper)

Photographer, North Coast Snapper witnessed the northern lights at Dunluce Castle Co Antrim Northern Ireland between 9:30 p.m. and 9:50 p.m. local time on Sept. 18. They managed to capture these beautiful photographs just before the clouds completely covered the sky.

Aurora borealis over Lake Huron and Port Elgin Marina, near the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. (Image credit: Scott Rock Photography)

This vibrant, colorful display of northern lights over Lake Huron and Port Elgin Marina, Ontario, was captured by aurora and storm chaser Scott Rock Photography.

We can expect more extreme space weather events like this powerful geomagnetic storm as the sun builds towards a peak in its 11-year solar activity cycle, expected to occur in 2025.