Powerful solar storm generates dazzling auroras across Canada
Vibrant and beautiful northern lights could be seen in clear skies across Canada and a large portion of the United States Sunday night.
If you had clear skies Sunday night, then you may have been treated to a spectacular showing of the aurora borealis.
Sunday night’s auroras were caused by a large coronal mass ejection (CME) on Friday that spewed a cloud of solar plasma towards the Earth. Fortunately, the densest part of the plasma cloud missed the Earth and we only got the edge of it. As a result, some people may have experienced minor electronic interference on Sunday afternoon. The showstopper, however, was the vibrant northern lights dancing across the sky.
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The auroras could be seen over the majority of Canada, if it wasn’t overcast for your area, that is. The solar storm was so powerful, in fact, that the lights could be seen well south of the border.
This particular CME was a ‘halo’ CME due to the solar flare having a cone structure, which makes the cloud of solar plasma that ejects outwards look like a large ring (or halo).
See below for photos submitted by our users of this beautiful phenomenon.
Campbell River, B.C. (Submitted by Rylee Laking)
Keephills, Alta. (Submitted by Brody W.)
Smokey Burn, Sask. (Submitted by Karen Hase)
Birds Hill Provincial Park, Man. (Submitted by Caroline)
Steinbach, Man. (Submitted by Marcie Wiebe)
Kirkland Lake, Ont. (Submitted by Andrew Gauthier)
London, Ont. (Submitted by Ray Majoran)
Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L. (Submitted by Gary Young)
Thumbnail photo of the Northern Lights over Astorville, Ont., submitted by Micheline Mamone
