Stargazers rarely see the Northern Lights | News

Aurora Borealis Visible After ‘Extreme’ Geomagnetic Storm.

The aurora borealis lit up the night sky with rare views in the southwest.

The visibility of the northern lights has been increased due to an “extreme” geomagnetic storm, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NOAA said the G5 geomagnetic storm, which is considered extreme and is the strongest level of a geomagnetic storm, hit land on Thursday and could affect communications, GPS and power grids.

The cause of this storm is a “large and complex” group of sunspots and is 17 times the diameter of the earth, the last G5 storm to hit the earth in October 2003, causing power outages in Sweden.

NOAA said the lights could be seen as far south as Alabama and southern California in the US.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said on Friday there was a good chance the aurora borealis would be seen.

He said: “Although the shorter nights will limit the window of visibility, there is a good chance of seeing the aurora, particularly on Friday evening and particularly in Scotland, Ireland and parts of northern England and Wales.

“There might even be visibility further south if you have the right equipment.”

Mr Dixon said the combination of clear skies and increased activity from the sun reaching Earth would improve the chances of seeing the display.

Aurora displays occur when charged particles collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere around the magnetic poles.

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