NEW YORK (AP) — Solar storms brought faint but visible auroras to the Northern Hemisphere starting late Thursday and extending into early Friday morning.
But, experts said, don't expect power grids and communications to be disrupted much.
People in Canada and northern U.S. states including Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota saw faint colorful displays, according to the current space weather forecast.
The sun’s magnetic field is at the peak of its 11-year cycle, making storms and aurora displays more frequent. Unusually strong solar storms in May produced vibrant aurora displays across the Northern Hemisphere.
The night storms were less intense, but cause brief disruptions to precision GPS machinery like what farmers use to harvest crops, Grow Cei said.
To spy the spectacle, wait for skies to get dark and then go outside, ideally away from bright city lights. Taking a picture with a smartphone camera may also reveal hints of the aurora that aren't visible to the naked eye.
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