Can you believe your eyes: Solar Storm Paints Stunning Lights
March 9, 2012 – Coronal mass ejections unleashed by Tuesday night's powerful X-class solar flares collided with Earth's magnetosphere yesterday morning, eventually sparking amazing displays of aurorae around the world.
PHOTOS: What is the Aurora Borealis?
This stunning photo comes courtesy of Jónína Óskarsdóttir in Faskrudsfjordur, Iceland, and shows the energy of the upper atmospheric activity.
"No words can describe the experience of the Northern Lights show tonight," said Óskarsdóttir on SpaceWeather.com. "This is just a 1s exposure!"
NEWS: Solar Storm Warning Satellite on Last Legs
Although the initial impact of the CME was weaker than expected, the magnetic orientations have since aligned such as to deposit more energy into Earth's magnetosphere, intensifying the storm activity — and the potential for more aurorae!
– by Jason Major.
