Northern lights seen over Mount Washington Observatory due to a solar flare that began last June 22. (Photo : Mount Washington Observatory/Instagram)
Solar storms have hit Earth that began on June 22 and will continue until June 23 where the planet is now awash with brilliant auroras, seen all over from different parts of the globe.
In the United States, these northern lights can be observed in Long Island, off the coast of New York which is an uncanny latitude where northern lights are not so commonly viewed.
The sun apparently emitted its first coronal mass ejection on June 21 where it travelled to Earth, hitting the planet's magnetic field two days after. Scientists have measured the peak of this solar energy blast and was classified a G4 event which is an extremely powerful flare that was according to the NOAA (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
NOAA released an announcement about this particular solar flare stating that this June 22 CME is expected to arrive later on June 24 that involves G2 levels at first when it hits the Earth's atmosphere where it is most likely to strengthen geomagnetic conditions into G3 strong levels during the early hours of the third day on June 25 which will weaken eventually during the day.
Due to these powerful solar flares, the northern lights occurring this week reveal the most brilliant display of colors where even amateur photographers have captured the amazing night sky shows from their mobile devices.
On the clear night of June 22, Mount Washington which is the highest point in New England, the northern lights provided an unprecedented view of the Aurora Borealis which attracted many visitors from all over including online at the Instagram account of Mount Washington Observatory.
The southern hemisphere also had its counterpart for these magnificent light displays where the Aurora Borealis was also viewed over Australia in Victoria and Tasmania.
However, even if the northern lights are a sure way to spark up a great night sky show all over the world, these solar flares can also affect and disturb communications especially with electronic devices and satellites that can disrupt power grids. When these solar storms occur, the energies become so powerful that it slams into the planet's magnetic field causing communications to fail and even electrical sources that can cause blackouts.
