If you live in the northern part of the U.S., you might be in for a once-in-a-lifetime light show if a lot of things come together.
A coronal mass ejection is a type of event that occurs in the sky. The most recent storm is sitting at a G3 level and is the most severe of the bunch. The start of the storm was caused by a so-called "cannibal" solar ejection event when one CME collides with another.
There were storm watches in effect for this week and a G2 level storm hit the earth on Wednesday. According to Spaceweather.com, the northern lights appeared in the sky above Germany.
Even in high latitude countries likeIceland, it is hard to see the Northern Lights. If you want to catch a glimpse before the weekend, you need to keep an eye on the forecasts from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. If you think you have a chance, you need to find an area that isn't polluted with light. Check the forecast for clouds and be prepared to watch for those lights.
During a solar storm, the sun expels a large amount of material from the corona, carrying a magnetic field with it. The ejections travel a few days to reach Earth, where they pull at the planet's own magnetic field. Nitrogen and oxygen are excited by the electrons on these waves. The light show known as the Aurora borealis is created when the molecules start releasing their energy.
The area of impact was about 50 degrees latitude, meaning that the storm was hitting as far south as Illinois or Pennsylvania. As of Thursday afternoon, the area of effect was pushing northwards, and as a result, the Aurora could be seen in some states.
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