Reports from the Washington Post indicate that the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare warning of a severe geomagnetic storm as a powerful solar eruption hit Earth earlier than expected on Friday.
Despite concerns, the dazzling Northern Lights, prominently visible in Britain, are anticipated to linger through the weekend and possibly into the following week. Numerous individuals in the U.K. captured snapshots of the phenomenon, sharing them across social media platforms.
Meteorologist Chris Snell from Britain’s Met Office noted widespread sightings of the lights, stretching from London to southern England, with additional reports coming in from European cities like Prague and Barcelona.
While the storm could extend the aurora as far south as Alabama and Northern California in the U.S., experts caution that the display may not match the typical grandeur associated with the Northern Lights but instead present as splashes of greenish hues.
Despite the spectacle, the solar storm poses potential risks to power grids and satellites. NOAA has advised operators to take precautions, although for the general public, no immediate action is required.
While NASA assures the safety of astronauts aboard the International Space Station, concerns about heightened radiation levels persist, prompting contingency plans, additionally, sensitive instruments on NASA’s science satellites may be deactivated temporarily to prevent damage.
As solar activity intensifies with the approaching peak of the sun’s 11-year cycle, numerous sun-focused spacecraft continue to monitor the situation closely, allowing scientists to gather valuable data on these rare celestial events.
