By: Rosa SanClementi
If you saw a pink sky on the night of October 10 and didn’t know what it was, it was the aurora borealis, or northern lights. Even though we aren’t north enough to see them often, there’s currently a magnetic storm effecting our region, allowing us to witness this incredible phenomenon. This magnetic storm is caused by the sun’s magnetic fields reversing a process that occurs approximately every 11 years. When the magnetic fields flip, they create more sunspots—dark patches on the sun’s surface—as a byproduct. These sunspots can cause solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). When the solar flares and CMEs travel through space, they interfere with the earth’s magnetic field which can have many side effects including visible auroras much farther south than usual. We aren’t the only ones who witnessed this extraordinary display either; there are accounts of people seeing them as far south as New Mexico. This display was a stunning reminder to appreciate the beauty around us.
