(Undated) – A rare geomagnetic storm caused a unique opportunity for “sky watchers” over the weekend. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued an alert for the extreme “geomagnetic storm” Friday afternoon. The storm allowed the “northern lights” to stretch as far south as Northern California and Alabama. Strong solar flares have been erupting from the sun since last Wednesday. Those blasts, known as a “coronal mass ejection,” are believed to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the size of Earth. According to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center Service Coordinator, Shawn Dahl, Illinois was in a good “bullseye” allowing the aurora to be vividly seen. NOAA says this was the most extreme geomagnetic storm since 2003. To learn more visit the link below.
https://www.spaceweather.gov/communities/aurora-dashboard-experimental