Aurora Borealis Lighting Up Night Sky All Week Due To Severe Solar Storm

(CBS SF) -- A second strong solar storm this week is predicted to slam Earth Wednesday, causing fluctuations in the power grid and GPS while sparking bright auroras across the world.

According to SpaceWeather.com, a "coronal mass ejection" erupted Monday and is expected to hit the Earth with electromagnetic radiation starting Wednesday at about 10 p.m. PDT and until Thursday.

At the same time, a geomagnetic storm that began Monday continues to rage on at severe levels, pushing glowing polar auroras to places where most people can easily see them.

NOAA forecasters said the Northern Lights may be able to be seen Tuesday night as far south as Nebraska and Indiana. But the second solar storm could continue dazzling skywatchers in both Northern and Southern hemispheres until Thursday night.

RELATED: NASA To Study Mysterious 'Magnetic Explosions' Between Earth, Sun That Unleash Dangerous X-Rays

The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks outlines the best chances to see the aurora in North America. (Geophysical Institute/University of Alaska)

 

Here are some of photos of Tuesday night's auroras, starting with this shot taken NASA astronaut Scott Kelly from the International Space Station.

Photo from the International Space Station show bright red auroras glowing on Earth. (Scott Kelly/NASA)

Wisconsin:

 

Massachusetts:

Colorado:

Iowa: 

 

New York: 

Georgia:

Ireland:

Australia:

Canada:

Norway:

Space Station

 

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.