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A stunning display of aurora borealis has been observed across the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far south as Florida. The phenomenon was triggered by a powerful geomagnetic storm, the strongest in 21 years, which resulted from a series of solar storms colliding with Earth’s atmosphere. The last time auroras were seen this far south was in 2003 during another extreme geomagnetic storm. The current storm, which reached G5 levels, began on Friday and continued until Monday. The dazzling light show was witnessed by people across the globe, including editors from Live Science, National Geographic, and Scientific American. The storm originated from a massive sunspot, AR3664, which unleashed several solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The charged particles from the sun interacted with gases in Earth’s atmosphere, creating the vibrant colors of the aurora borealis.

A colossal sunspot, AR3664, with a size 15 times that of Earth, has unleashed a barrage of solar flares, including several powerful X-class flares. These flares have launched clouds of plasma, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), directly towards Earth. The CMEs are expected to trigger a severe geomagnetic storm, known as a G4 disturbance, which could disrupt satellite signals, power infrastructure, and communications. While G4 storms are not uncommon during the sun’s active phase, the current storm is predicted to be amplified by the merging of multiple CMEs. This heightened intensity could lead to widespread auroras across North America.

A powerful solar storm is heading towards Earth, potentially causing the aurora borealis to appear as far south as Alabama and Northern California in the US. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a rare geomagnetic storm watch, forecasting the storm’s arrival from Friday through the weekend. The sun has been emitting intense solar flares, including five significant coronal mass ejections, which have the potential to disrupt satellites and power grids. NOAA emphasizes the exceptional nature of this event, as the flares are associated with a sunspot 16 times larger than Earth. If the storm reaches its peak, it could result in power outages and damage to power transformers.