In Pictures

Solar storm produces stunning northern lights across US, UK, Russia

The powerful solar storm triggered spectacular celestial light shows in skies from the United States to the UK.

The northern lights flare in the sky over a farmhouse, late Friday, May 10, 2024, in Brunswick, Maine — The northern lights flare in the sky over a farmhouse in Brunswick, Maine, United States [Robert F Bukaty/AP Photo]

An unusually strong solar storm hitting Earth produced stunning displays of colour in the skies across the Northern Hemisphere early on Saturday, with no immediate reports of disruptions to power and communications.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, hours sooner than anticipated.

The effects of the northern lights, which were on display in the United Kingdom, were due to last through the weekend and possibly into next week.

Many in the UK shared phone snaps of the lights on social media early Saturday, with the phenomenon seen as far south as London and southern England.

There were sightings “from top to tail across the country,” said Chris Snell, a meteorologist at the Met Office, the British weather agency. He added that the office received photos and information from other European locations including Prague and Barcelona.

NOAA alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to take precautions.

“For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

The storm could produce northern lights as far south in the US as Alabama and northern California, NOAA said. But it was hard to predict and experts stressed it would not be the dramatic curtains of colour normally associated with the northern lights, but more like splashes of greenish hues.

“That’s really the gift from space weather: the aurora,” Steenburgh said. He and his colleagues said the best aurora views may come from phone cameras, which are better at capturing light than the naked eye.

The most intense solar storm in recorded history, in 1859, prompted auroras in Central America and possibly even Hawaii. “We are not anticipating that” but it could come close, NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl said.

This storm poses a risk for high-voltage transmission lines for power grids, not the electrical lines ordinarily found in people’s homes, Dahl told reporters. Satellites also could be affected, which in turn could disrupt navigation and communication services here on Earth.

In this image taken with a long exposure, people look at the night sky towards the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, on Friday, May 10, 2024, in Estacada, Ore — In this image taken with a long exposure, people look at the night sky towards the northern lights, or aurora borealis, Estacada, Oregon. [Jenny Kane/AP Photo]

Northern lights or aurora borealis illuminate the night sky over a camper's tent north of San Francisco in Middletown, California on May 11 — Northern lights or aurora borealis illuminate the night sky over a camper's tent north of San Francisco in Middletown, California. [Josh Edelson/AFP]

Northern lights or aurora borealis illuminate the night sky along a highway north of San Francisco in Middletown, California — Northern lights illuminate the night sky along a highway north of San Francisco. [Josh Edelson/AFP]

The aurora borealis, also known as the "northern lights", caused by a coronal mass ejection on the Sun, illuminates the sky over Jericho Beach in Vancouver, British Columbi — People watch the aurora borealis at Jericho Beach, Vancouver, Canada. [Chris Helgren/Reuters]

This handout photo taken and released by Jacob Anderson shows the northern lights or aurora borealis during a solar storm over the National Monument of Scotland in Edinburgh on May 10 — Northern lights are seen during a solar storm over the National Monument of Scotland in Edinburgh, UK. [Jacob Anderson/AFP]

The aurora borealis, also known as the 'northern lights’, are seen over The Roaches near Leek, Staffordshire, Britain — The aurora borealis is seen over The Roaches near Leek, Staffordshire, UK. [Carl Recine/Reuters]

People gather to watch the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, in New Brighton in northwest England late on May 10 — People gather to watch the aurora borealis in New Brighton in northwest England. [Paul Ellis/AFP]

The aurora borealis, also known as the 'northern lights’, caused by a coronal mass ejection on the Sun, illuminate the skies over the southwestern Siberian town of Tara, Omsk region, Russia May 11 — The aurora borealis, illuminates the skies over the southwestern Siberian town of Tara, Omsk region, Russia. [Alexey Malgavko/Reuters]