The sun has been unusually active this week, leading to stunning views of auroras across Europe and parts of the U.S. this weekend.
The sun has been unusually active this week, leading to stunning views of auroras across Europe and parts of the U.S. this weekend. On Friday, May 10, Earth was hit by the strongest solar storm in 20 years, and the activity has created light shows in the sky for many people who wouldn’t normally see them.
The sun is becoming more tempestuous as it ramps up to solar maximum, the point in its 11-year cycle when the sun is most active. When the sun lets out a huge burst of energy called a solar flare or a slower burst called a coronal mass ejection, this radiation spreads out through the solar system, and when it interacts with Earth’s atmosphere, it creates auroras like the Northern Lights.
