Intense G4 Magnetic Storm Ignites Auroras Over the U.S. and Beyond (Images)
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The world is buzzing after an incredible space occurrence! A colossal solar flare on May 30 ignited a coronal mass ejection (CME), plowing towards Earth at blazing speeds, and the result was nothing short of spectacular!
The solar flare was an M8.2 monstrosity, shaking things up at 8:05 p.m. EDT (00:05 GMT on May 31). The CME rocketed towards our planet at a staggering 1,938 km/s, or 4.3 million mph! Its fury unleashed a severe (G4) geomagnetic storm once it collided with Earth's magnetic field. In turn, this tempestuous commotion triggered dazzling auroras to dance deep within mid-latitudes.
CMEs are an electrifying mixture of ions. When they face-off with Earth's magnetosphere, it can set off geomagnetic storms—major disturbances in Earth's magnetosphere. In the thick of such turmoil, the ions mingle with gases in Earth's atmosphere, releasing energy in the form of dazzling light. This radiant display of colors is famously known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) in the Northern Hemisphere, and the southern lights (aurora australis) in the Southern Hemisphere. The intensity of geomagnetic storms is scored on a G-scale that ranges from a mild G1 to the highly volatile G5.
Last night, G4 storm conditions electrified both northern and southern hemispheres (you know, depending on who was awake). Chances are, the energetic geomagnetic tumult will persist for a while yet, which is fantastic news for European spectators, since the sun had already risen when the ruckus began there.
Jure Atanackov, an avid aurora hunter, jotted in a post on X, "G4 storm conditions are here! We're still only at the start of the CME and the ongoing geomagnetic storm, more to come. Twelve more hours to go for Europe!"
As we eagerly anticipate tonight's spectacle, take a peek at the breathtaking footage captured by aurora enthusiasts across the globe.
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Terry Griffin, armed with a Samsung S24 Ultra, shot some spectacular aurora pillars during the geomagnetic storm.
"The white pillars shone brighter to the naked eye than the colors," Griffin mentioned in an email to us. Griffin snagged this striking photograph at 2:39 a.m. local time from St. George, Kansas, U.S.
"I simply laid the phone on the ground and tilted it up," Griffin continued.
Photographer extraordinaire Yuri Beletsky held the best seat in the house during his flight from Melbourne to Santiago.
"The heavens were teeming with soft splashes of light," Beletsky posted on X.
Just flew from Melbourne 🇦🇺 to Santiago 🇨🇱 on @LATAM_CHI flight LA804 and saw an unbelievable aurora from the plane !🤩 The heavens were teeming with soft splashes of light. This flight's route feels truly special - passing so close to Antarctica, you can almost sense the vastness below.... pic.twitter.com/0Mkh9FstxnJune 1, 2025
Aurora chaser Brendon recorded some fabulous shots of the aurora from the North side of Cheyenne, Wyoming.
"Ok, that was quite a show," Brendon scribbled in a post on X.
Ok, that was quite a showNorth side of Cheyenne, Wyoming pic.twitter.com/qFEzJNhHDqJune 1, 2025
Photographer Derick Wilson whipped up a stunning hyper-lapse of the northern lights pirouetting above Farmington, New Mexico, at 2:15 a.m. local time.
"The chance to witness an aurora this far south is incredibly rare," Wilson informed us in an email. "I kept a close eye on solarwind data when the anticipated solarstorm arrived early, I knew I needed to get far from city lights. And it's crazy what cell phone cameras can capture these days!"
"Discreet scepters occasionally drifted eastward but went hazy and faded.... For now," Wilson posted on X.
215amSlowed hyperlapse of the mesmerizing #aurora appearing over the last hour north of Farmington NM. Discreet scepters occasionally drifted eastward but went hazy and faded.... For now pic.twitter.com/fwTpXH4X5pJune 1, 2025
The dense smoke from wildfires didn't need a chance against the northern lights above Minnesota, U.S.
"Foggy auroras tonight in Northern Minnesota. It was potent enough for the aurora to be noticeable to the naked eye. There was even a hint of red tint visible to the naked eye," Gabe Zogo wrote on X.
Foggy auroras tonight in Northern Minnesota. It was potent enough for the aurora to be noticeable to the naked eye. There was even a hint of red tint visible to the naked eye. #our websiteweather #aurora #auroraborealis #mnwx #northernlights pic.twitter.com/WTBcRXvI2DJune 1, 2025
Robert Erickson stumbled upon a commendable northern lights performance above Pyramid Lake, just north of Reno, Nevada, U.S.
Last night's solar storm didn't let anyone down! Just north of Reno Nevada at Pyramid Lake @NWSReno @our websitewxwatch pic.twitter.com/ajoEnmjtLEJune 1, 2025
In the meantime, aurora connoisseur Noel Bowman captured this delightful scene unfolding above Seabeck, Washington in the early hours of the morning on June 1.
6/1/25 between 2:30-4:25 am, snapped photos till 5:25 am, Seabeck, Washington @TamithaSkov @theauroraguy @WeatherNation @ShannonODKOMO @komonews #wawx #pnw #aurora#solarstorm @NWSSeattle @AuroraNotify @AuroraAlertsApp@ScottSeattleWx @chunder10 pic.twitter.com/3qqIeI5PvjJune 1, 2025
Auroras also made an appearance above San Diego, California, during the early stages of the solar storm.
"Nice catch! Confirmed #aurora visible on webcams as far south as San Diego, California, USA during the early phase of this ongoing #solarstorm," Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov stated on X.
Nice catch! Confirmed #aurora visible on webcams as far south as San Diego, California, USA during the early phase of this ongoing #solarstorm. Thanks for reporting! https://t.co/MekMzZlmbSJune 1, 2025
Southern Hemisphere skywatchers snatched quite the treat last night, witnessing vibrant red and pink auroras overhead in Queenstown, Tasmania.
The southern hemisphere is on fire with red and pink auroras at the moment!https://t.co/rSOKoXyKbA pic.twitter.com/sxU7K6qtPWJune 1, 2025
Sai Shankar snagged these spectacular photographs from Kaikoura, New Zealand, around 9:35 p.m. local time (5:35 a.m. EDT or 0945 GMT).
"I have observed similar Auroras in May and October of last year, from Banks Peninsula, near Christchurch. This is the first time I've photographed from further north - I happened to be in Kaikoura photographing whales in the morning," Shankar mentioned in an email.
Amateur astronomer and photographer Paul Stewart shot a striking red aurora show above New Zealand.
"A little bit of an #Aurora going on in New Zealand tonight," Stewart noted on X.
A bit of an #Aurora going on in New Zealand tonight pic.twitter.com/lGToGjuqQ4June 1, 2025
Photographer Mitch Young took these beautiful photographs of the southern lights above Metung, Victoria, Australia around 7:50 p.m. local time.
Auroras Victoria, AustraliaSome Stunning Auroras are being captured around the world.Photos Below are from Metung, Victoria at 7:50pm local time.10s exposure on an iPhone 16 Pro Max was used.#auroras #GeomagneticStorm #Australia 📷 Mitch Young pic.twitter.com/pPMSJXhlQyJune 1, 2025
Young utilized 10s exposure on an iPhone 16 Pro Max to record these shots.
Editor's note: Interested in capturing a remarkable picture of the northern or southern lights and want to share it with our website's readers? Drop us a line at our websitephotos@our website with your photo(s), thoughts, and your name and location!
- The recent geomagnetic storm, caused by a solar flare and subsequent coronal mass ejection (CME), has sparked interest in both environmental-science and space-and-astronomy, as it led to spectacular displays of the northern and southern lights.
- Meanwhile, the severe (G4) geomagnetic storm has also raised concerns in health-and-wellness and mental-health communities, as prolonged exposure to such storms can potentially have negative effects on both our physical and mental well-being.
- Climate-change researchers are keeping a close eye on the ongoing incident, as solar flares and CMEs can affect Earth's atmospheric conditions, which might have long-term implications on our planet's climate.
- In the sphere of history, the recent geomagnetic storm finds its place among the many instances where the sun's activity has influenced our planet, contributing to our understanding of space weather and its impact on Earth.
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