On Friday night, people in Britain were in for a treat as they witnessed the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis. This was due to a severe solar storm that was brewing and expected to continue over the next few days. The northern lights are usually seen in higher latitudes closer to the North Pole, so it was a special sight for those in Britain and other European countries such as Denmark and Germany.
Social media was abuzz with posts from onlookers who were amazed at the sight of the northern lights. Some expressed their surprise, delight, and even shock at seeing such a rare event. One user humorously referenced a popular meme by posting, “Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely over Edinburgh?” Another simply stated, “It really is gorgeous though.”
The northern lights were also visible in North America, with reports of sightings in Maine on Friday night. The phenomenon occurs when the sun expels material from its surface, resulting in a display of light in the sky. The current solar storm is caused by a cluster of sunspots on the solar surface, which are flaring and ejecting material every six to 12 hours.
Earlier on Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a rare warning about the solar outburst. This warning was necessary because the solar storm could potentially disrupt communications and power grids, highlighting the powerful and sometimes disruptive nature of these natural events.
