The northern lights were in the past 20 years earlier this month, with bright auroras visible as far south as parts of Florida. While we’re unlikely to see another event of that magnitude, the next couple of years will probably bring plenty of additional chances for folks to see auroras outside their normal areas. That’s because auroras are the byproduct of geomagnetic storms, and right now, Earth is set up for a possible increase in solar activity thanks to the , which is expected to hit within the next year.
The solar maximum means that our solar system’s star will be experiencing activity at peak levels, with more solar flares and coronal mass ejections expected to happen. Increased eruptions mean increased chances of those eruptions facing Earth when they leave the sun, which means increased chances for the solar energy to collide with Earth’s magnetic field, creating the beautiful light shows that so many skywatchers have become enamored with. While the northern lights are beautiful, we can’t forget how dangerous the storms that bring them are.
Geomagnetic storms wreak havoc on our radio and GPS frequencies and can even cause issues with , airplane navigation systems, and more. We’ve even seen it cause issues with the electrical grid in the past. Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.
By signing up, I agree to the and have reviewed the Further, events like those pushing the northern lights we saw in May are even rarer, with that.
