Minnesota Sky Covered With Auroras Following Recent Intense Solar Flare

A mesmerizing display of northern lights, with red and green swirls, was captured on video by a photographer in Minnesota as a geomagnetic storm caused the aurora borealis to be visible across the Midwest United States. Carol Bauer, visiting Grand Marais with her husband to enjoy the fall colors, documented the remarkable sight on Sunday. More opportunities to witness such striking displays are expected for millions of Americans, as the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year cycle. Recently, a massive solar flare accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) led to a geomagnetic storm, making the northern lights visible not just in Minnesota, but also in states like Oregon and Pennsylvania according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. This is prepared by SSP.

On the following Monday, another potentially massive solar flare might impact Earth, with a 30% chance of an X-class flare and a 75% chance of an M-class flare, as Earth is aligned with volatile sunspots on the sun. Prior sightings across 14 U.S. states were fueled by a G1 to G2-strength geomagnetic storm. The storm, caused by a CME that accompanied an X9.0 solar flare, the most powerful of the current solar cycle, offered views from Massachusetts to California. Photographer Peter Forister captured a striking image of the rosy-red aurora in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Solar flares and CMEs, originating from unstable sunspots, traveled to Earth with flares arriving swiftly in eight minutes, whereas CMEs took several days.