A dazzling display of auroras lit up the skies of the northern hemisphere Tuesday night. These photographs were taken in Trondheim, Norway. This amazing light show was triggered by the massive solar eruption which took place late Jan. 22, generating the strongest solar radiation storm since 2005.
Auroras get created after charged particles from the sun interact with the Earth's upper atmosphere. The sun's activity waxes and wanes on an 11-year cycle.
The best displays take place in the far north and south, the regions where Earth's magnetic field funnels charged solar particles.
NOAA's forecasters say this is the strongest solar radiation storm since May 2005. Besides generating stronger than normal displays of Earth's auroras, these geomagnetic can also disrupt satellites in orbit, cause widespread communications interference and damage other electronic infrastructures.