The Northern Lights show is about to get a major upgrade thanks to a powerful geomagnetic storm sweeping toward Earth.
Top 5 things you need to know about this geomagnetic storm
- It is set to hit Earth on Thursday and Friday, triggering a G3-level "Strong" geomagnetic storm watch from NOAA, which is the highest alert issued in years.
- The storm is caused by a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun, traveling at nearly 1.5 million miles per hour.
- The most visible effect will be the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, potentially seen as far south as Alabama and California in the United States.
- While breathtaking, the storm can disrupt power grids, GPS signals, and high-frequency radio communications, especially at higher latitudes.
- Experts recommend charging phones, having backup navigation, and heading to dark skies for the best chance to see the rare, widespread light show.