Parts of North America Treated to Rare Display of Aurora Borealis

A surprise solar storm amplified auroras across North America on March 23, in what weather officials described as “fairly unusual”.

People in Canada, New York, as far as South as Arizona, and New Mexico, were treated to a dazzling display of purple, pink, teal and green as the aurora shimmered as far as the eye could see.

According to BBC, the “event was categorized as a severe geomagnetic storm and received the second highest rating in strength, G4. The strongest would be a G5.” Report by Space.com says space weather forecasters didn’t see the storm coming, as it was caused by a stealthy solar eruption.

A less severe storm is reportedly expected this weekend. Bill Murtagh, programme coordinator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather and Prediction Center, told BBC that the aurora was experienced due to “several eruptions on the sun.”

“When these clouds of particles and magnetic fields from the sun hit the Earth’s magnetic fields, we see these high energy particles will interact with the Earth’s upper atmosphere and that will create the Northern Lights”, Murtagh explained.

Space.com asserts that “we are likely heading into a period of more intense solar storms and therefore more breathtaking aurora displays.”