The northern lights are created after a large coronal mass ejection was released from the sun over the weekend and is expected to reach Earth on Monday night.
Watch: Time-lapse video captures Northern Lights across the country
A time-lapse video captured a mesmerizing northern lights dancing across the night sky.
In some northern Midwestern states, nature’s light spectacle could be seen in all its glory on Monday evening.
This is according to a geomagnetic storm warning for Monday night from the Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In simpler terms, the storm could cause the Northern Lights to become visible in areas of the northern U.S. The Northern Lights outbreak occurred after a coronal mass ejection emanated from the Sun on Saturday and was expected to reach Earth on Monday evening.
As soon as the ejection reaches the Earth, a beautiful aurora is created, which offers us an impressive light spectacle.
The best time to see the Northern Lights on Monday will be between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Eastern Time, according to meteorologists. The regions where the greatest activity is expected are the northern Midwestern states such as Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
What is a coronal mass ejection?
A coronal mass ejection is a large cloud of plasma and magnetic field released from the Sun during a Class X solar flare. According to Space.com, these types of flares are the most powerful class of solar flares. These types of ejections carry electrically charged atoms, better known as ions.
These ions are the cause of the Northern Lights because when they interact with our planet’s magnetosphere, the phenomenon can occur. Gases and ions interact in our atmosphere and create all the colors in the night sky.
What are the effects of a geomagnetic storm?
According to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, storms like the one predicted can cause voltage fluctuations in power systems, triggering false alarms in some protection systems.
GPS systems can also experience temporary problems.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
