Powerful Solar Storm Creates Celestial Spectacle All Over the World

The resulting auroras were spotted by onlookers in the United States, Britain and Europe, as well as in Australia and Tasmania.

The storm was produced by a massive sunspot and is believed to be the most powerful such event in about two decades. Such storms may pose a threat to power infrastructure on the ground and to satellites and spacecraft in Earth’s orbit.

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Northern lights or aurora borealis illuminate the night sky over Vienna during a geomagnetic storm on May 11, 2024.

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People stop along a country road near London, Ontario in Canada to watch the Northern lights or aurora borealis.

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The northern lights glow in the sky over St. Croix State Forest near Markville, Minnesota, United States.

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Northern lights shine over Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States.

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Northern lights or aurora borealis illuminate the night sky near London, Ontario, Canada.

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An old tombstone stands against the northern lights at a cemetery near Skidmore, Missouri, United States.

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The northern lights flare in the sky over a farmhouse in Brunswick, Maine, United States.

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People stop along a country road near London, Ontario.