northern lights

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You Might Catch Some Cool Aurora Action Monday

Geomagnetic storm watch due to solar flare could also interfere with radio transmissions, per NOAA

(Newser) - Space weather forecasters have issued a geomagnetic storm watch through Monday, saying an outburst of plasma from a solar flare could interfere with radio transmissions on Earth. It could also make for great aurora viewing. There's no reason for the public to be concerned, according to the alert issued...

No, That's Not a Portal to Another Universe Over Alaska

Sky spiral was a result of sunlight reflecting off excess fuel from SpaceX rocket, says expert

(Newser) - Northern light enthusiasts got a surprise mixed in with the green bands of light dancing in the Alaska skies: A light baby blue spiral resembling a galaxy appeared amid the aurora for a few minutes. The cause early Saturday was a little more mundane than an alien invasion or the...

Passenger Jets Do 360s Mid-Flight, Intentionally

EasyJet, Finnair passengers treated to views of northern lights

(Newser) - An easyJet flight turned around midair while flying from Iceland to the UK on Monday—though this detour left passengers pleased. There was no incident on board. Rather, the pilot decided to give passengers the best possible view of the northern lights, which were putting on a show over the...

Chance of Seeing Aurora From US Just Went Up

Strong geomagnetic storm could put on a show in some states

(Newser) - US skywatchers could be in for a rare sight: The northern lights could be seen as far south as Pennsylvania over the next several days amid the potential for a strong geomagnetic storm. Beginning Sunday, the sun sent out various bursts, including multiple coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which Live...

Many in US May Glimpse Northern Lights This Weekend

Thanks to solar flare, aurora borealis may be visible in northern parts of the country, if all factors align

(Newser) - The bad news: A solar flare is about to slam into the Earth. The good news: Parts of the US may get quite the sky show because of it. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a level G3 (i.e., strong) "geomagnetic...

To Understand Northern Lights, 'Think About Surfing'
Scientist Say They Now Know
How an Aurora Occurs
new study
Jun 12, 2021 11:03 AM CDT

Scientist Say They Now Know How an Aurora Occurs

A group of physicists re-created the wave that causes the northern lights

(Newser) - Physicists say they know how the awe-inspiring aurora borealis light shows are formed and can for the first time prove it in a lab. It all has to do with surfing and waves. Electrons traveling to Earth can catch waves, called Alfvén waves, which pick them up and throw...

No Promises, but Aurora Borealis May Be Heading Our Way

Unpredictable sky show may appear in skies over northern United States on Thursday

(Newser) - The sun had a somewhat volatile week, and as a result, parts of the northern United States may get a rare sky show Thursday night . Per USA Today and AccuWeather , a solar flare burst out of the sun on Monday, producing a coronal mass ejection (CME)—a ball of plasma...

Sometimes Ordinary Sky Gazers Discover What Experts Cannot

They're calling it 'Steve,' and it is a hot ribbon of gas

(Newser) - Several avid northern lights watchers who call themselves Alberta Aurora Chasers on Facebook were sharing photographs at a talk when a professor at the University of Calgary noticed something strange. The citizen scientists were referring to a purple streak of light as a "proton arc," but no proton...

Reykjavik Swaps City Lights for Even Better Ones

Iceland's capital turns off lights for aurora borealis viewing

(Newser) - The capital of an entire country went dark Wednesday night to give residents a better view of one of nature's most stunning light shows. The BBC reports Reykjavik switched off street lights in the center of the city and in various neighborhoods for better viewing of the aurora borealis,...

Here Come the Northern Lights
 Here Come the Northern Lights 
Jan 8, 2014 7:10 PM CST

Here Come the Northern Lights

Aurora borealis might be visible tonight, tomorrow night

(Newser) - Think of it as a little payback from Mother Nature for this week's misery : She might put on a show in the form of the northern lights, or aurora borealis, over the next few nights. Thanks to a solar flare from the sun on Tuesday, the shimmering green (and...

PHOTOS: Northern Lights: Auroras Light Up Northern Skies
 Auroras Sweep Northern Skies 
Jan 23, 2012 4:00 AM CST

Auroras Sweep Northern Skies

Solar flares hit the Earth's atmosphere, creating amazing light shows

(Newser) - As predicted last week , a solar storm that swept through the Earth's magnetic field created some incredible northern lights displays, with fantastic auroras lighting the skies from Canada to Norway, reports MSNBC . In addition to MSNBC's collection of photos and videos, you can see more photos at...

Solar Flare May Trigger Light Show Tonight

Expect some nice views of the northern lights in higher latitudes

(Newser) - It might pay to glance up at the sky late tonight. A solar flare that erupted from the sun on Thursday is sending a blob of charged gas toward Earth that could make for some dazzling displays of the northern lights, reports Space.com . (The higher latitudes, such as Alaska,...

Northern Lights Seen in Deep South

People as far south as Atlanta spot aurora borealis

(Newser) - The Deep South isn’t exactly the place you think of when you hear “northern lights.” But the aurora borealis was in fact visible from Oklahoma City, Memphis, and Atlanta last night, hundreds of miles farther south than is typical. "A storm on the sun's surface...

Solar Storm Boosting Northern Lights

Display could be visible as far south as Colorado

(Newser) - Bad news for telecommunications, good news for skywatchers: The sun is entering a busy period of its 11-year cycle, and solar flares are expect to affect the earth for the next several years, making the Northern Lights more spectacular and visible further south. A geomagnetic storm currently in progress is...

Northern Lights at 100-Year Low

Cycle's low point 'going on and on and on'

(Newser) - The Northern lights are rarer now than they have been for at least a century, but some spectacular light shows are probably on the way, researchers say. The phenomenon, triggered by solar winds, usually follows an 11-year cycle, rising quickly to a maximum before tapering off to a minimum. But...

Northern Lights Head South—for 1 Night

Aurora borealis may be visible in northern US tonight

(Newser) - Thanks to a plasma eruption that roiled the surface of the sun, residents of the northern US and Canada may be able to enjoy a spectacular show tonight—the Northern Lights. "This eruption is directed right at us, and is expected to get here early in the day on...

'Solar Tsunami' Hits Earth Today

Wave of plasma expected to produce spectacular light show

(Newser) - Two massive explosions on the sun have sent a wave of supercharged gas racing toward Earth, but people should expect an amazing light show instead of fiery doom, NASA says. The "solar tsunami" probably won't be strong enough to knock out telecommunications equipment, but the plasma is likely to...

Scientists Explain Northern Lights

Finding could help scientists predict storms that take out satellites

(Newser) - Scientists say they have solved the mystery of what causes the dazzling northern lights to seemingly dance across the sky, Wired reports. The light show, also known as aurora borealis, is triggered by explosions of magnetic energy about 80,000 miles away. The findings—drawn from five NASA satellites working...

Space Tours to Northern Lights
Space Tours to Northern Lights
Dec 29, 2007 11:41 AM CST

Space Tours to Northern Lights

Virgin Galactic to offer flights into heart of aurora borealis

(Newser) - Virgin Galactic plans to launch sightseeing tours into the heart of the northern lights—a first for humans—within three years. If all goes to plan, passengers willing to pay $200,000 a ticket will board spacecraft from north of the Arctic Circle to head for the edge of space,...

Source of Northern Lights Seen
Source of Northern Lights Seen
Dec 12, 2007 6:54 AM CST

Source of Northern Lights Seen

(Newser) - Scientists are getting closer to understanding what causes the vivid display of the Northern Lights, National Geographic reports. New satellite research indicates that charged particles from the sun are flowing toward Earth’s upper atmosphere in magnetic streams. The waves of charged particles, called solar wind, likely provide energy for...

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