TORONTO – If you had clear skies Tuesday night and happened to be outside, you were treated to an unusually impressive display of auroras.
The cause was the arrival of a coronal mass ejection which helped to kickstart a weak geomagnetic storm that was already in progress. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is the release of plasma and particles from the sun. They can travel at billions of kilometres per hour.
Genesis of a Lunar Halo from InFocus Imagery Inc. on Vimeo.
When these particles interact with Earth’s magnetic field, it causes a geomagnetic storm and can create beautiful aurora.
The auroras were so strong that they were visible in mid-latitudes, into parts of the United States.
Not only were we treated to the northern lights, also called the aurora borealis, but to our south, the aurora australis or southern lights, also lit up the sky — a welcome surprise to many.
It just goes to show you that you never know what the night sky will throw at you.
Comments