Skies over the U.S. recently lit up with the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights. The Mount Washington Observatory captured a timelapse of the phenomenon, showing greenish-blue colors in New Hampshire’s sky. Aurora of different colors appeared in other states as well. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a geomagnetic storm that would make the auroras visible from northern and upper Midwest states. The lights were expected to be visible in multiple states on Monday night.
The aurora borealis is a luminous glow seen around the magnetic poles of the northern hemisphere. It is caused by the interaction between electrically charged particles from the sun and gases in Earth’s atmosphere, creating colorful ribbons of light in the sky. The southern hemisphere also has its own version called the southern lights. These displays occur when solar winds interact with particles and gases in the magnetosphere, bypassing Earth’s magnetic field and creating stunning visual displays.
Overall, the recent sightings of the northern lights over the U.S. were a result of coronal mass ejections from the sun interacting with Earth’s atmosphere, leading to the beautiful and mesmerizing light displays that captured the attention and awe of many observers.
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