Earth has just experienced its most powerful geomagnetic storm in more than 20 years after a series of solar storms smashed into our planet. The extraordinary event triggered vibrant aurora displays as far south as Florida and caused power grid irregularities as well as temporary satellite issues.
The CME bombardment temporarily weakened Earth's protective field, which enabled charged particles from the sun to penetrate deep into the atmosphere and excite molecules of gas. These in turn triggered vibrant, multicolored auroras at latitudes much farther from Earth's polar regions than normal. In the Northern Hemisphere, auroras lit up the skies as far south as Florida, Mexico and Puerto Rico, as well as across parts of Europe, according to Spaceweather.com.
In theory, G5 storms can send satellites tumbling to Earth, damage ground-based infrastructure and knock out power grids. However, in this case, the worst effects seem to have been some minor"power grid irregularities" and temporary disruptions to GPS and other satellite services, according to the SWPC.G5-class storms are rare but are more likely to occur during solar maximum — the most active phase of the sun's roughly 11-year solar cycle.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Previously, the solar maximum was forecast to arrive at some point next year and be weak compared with previous solar cycles. However, as the solar cycle progressed it became clear that the maximum would arrive sooner — and be more powerful — than initially expected.