Photo: Noppawat Tom Charoensinphon / Moment / Getty Images
Much of the country is being given another chance at a nighttime show at the moment. A coronal mass ejection, a burst of magnetized plasma ejected from the sun, erupted Tuesday and is expected to cause a moderate solar storm for Earth today and tomorrow according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This means that the aurora borealis will be visible further south than usual. How much more south? According to NOAA, the northern lights are visible for the northern half of the US and as far south as Alabama and Northern California.
It's not just a light show, though. The solar storm can potentially interfere with radio and GPS signals, along with electric power networks. While that sounds ominous, there’s not much chance of anything similar to the Carrington Event happening this time around, as power networks have safeguards in place. Earth is currently approaching the peak of this solar cycle, but more space weather events are possible through the end of the year.
Source: ABC News