'A breathtaking sight': Canadians in awe over vibrant northern lights across the country โ see the photos
A powerful solar storm provided millions of people worldwide with a rare sight of the Aurora borealis.
The northern lights were on full display for a large part of Canada, the U.S. and other parts the world on Friday night. A powerful geomagnetic storm offered millions of people a chance to see the vibrant auroras, kicking off the weekend with a dazzle that left many people in awe.
Ahead of the event, forecasters at the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) at the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a geomagnetic storm watch. They stated on Friday that "watches at this level are very rare," according to The Weather Network.
This event was first ranked as a "severe" G4 on the scale experts use to measure geomagnetic storms. According to the scale, storms can range from a minor intensity at G1 to an extreme intensity at G5. The watch issued by the SWPC yesterday was its first G4-level since January 2005.
But six hours later, the agency noted G5 levels began around 6:54 p.m. EDT. This marked the first time these levels were recorded since October 2003. Back then, the storm was so intense it caused power outages in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.
This is happening due to huge bursts of charged particles that are carried along the solar wind, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME). Since Wednesday, the sun has produced a series of CMEs that headed towards Earth. A CME often arises after solar flares erupt from sunspots, which happen to be more prevalent now as the sun sees maximum solar activity in its 11-year cycle.
While auroras are one part of the effects of a geomagnetic storm, the surge of charged particles into the atmosphere can cause radio blackouts and GPS disruptions. Storms at the highest levels can sometimes even threaten power grids.
While clouds obscured views for some Canadians on Friday night, several people across the country captured stunning photos of the northern lights. From British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador, see the gleaming snapshots people from coast to coast shared on social media from the rare event.
This might be the first time that a TTC CLRV has been photographed under the northern lights. From my familyโs farm in Priceville, Ontario. cc: @Streetcar4187 #Toronto pic.twitter.com/O2uVI7aQhO
โ Alex Glista ๐จ๐ฆ (@AlexanderGlista) May 11, 2024
Northern Lights in Nova Scotia! pic.twitter.com/rhrHUlMcZK
โ Michael Mindrum โธ๏ธ (@MichaelMindrum) May 11, 2024
Northern Lights from South East New Brunswick overnight. pic.twitter.com/b8MoPGBHFQ
โ Steve Kee ๐ค (@steve_kee) May 11, 2024
Here you goโฆ@CNN @GlobalCalgary @CTVNews @weathernetwork
Northern Lights from Albertaโฆ pic.twitter.com/eQ0RF00mZEโ James Durbano (@astronomer4hire) May 11, 2024
Wow! Amazing northern lights happening above! #yyc #calgary #alberta #NorthernLights #Auroraborealis @GlobalCalgary @CTVCalgary @citynewscalgary pic.twitter.com/emR5aqByWd
โ Mark Smith (@CstSmith) May 11, 2024
aurora borealis (northern lights), manitoba, may 11, 2024 pic.twitter.com/V94Cgc8KDm
โ ๐ opossum orb ๐ง๐ปโโ๏ธ (@blackberryhoney) May 11, 2024
Northern Lights in Manitoba. #aurora pic.twitter.com/YjnG9MeolC
โ Megan (@coachmegjade) May 11, 2024
Witnessed the magic of the Northern Lights from the Land of the Living Skies #Auroraborealis #NorthernLights #Saskatchewan pic.twitter.com/4MLAHtuRww
โ Vikash Kumar (@vikash1025) May 11, 2024
Northern lights in Regina, saskatchewan ๐จ๐ฆ #Canada #northenlights pic.twitter.com/BoMgHzo8RP
โ Sergio Villagomez (@chekopacheko) May 11, 2024
Northern Lights over Lake Ontario last night! #Auroraborealis #NorthernLights #bucketlistchecked pic.twitter.com/ZGX3UNSj3N
โ Edina (@Edina87) May 11, 2024
โJust witnessed the most unreal Northern Lights in London, Ontarioโfar from the usual spots! โจ A breathtaking sight that checks a major item off my bucket list. ๐ #NorthernLight #BucketList #AuroraBorealis #northenlights #solarstorm pic.twitter.com/CVTyhGEJSX
โ Patel Dhruv (@Dhruv_webDev) May 11, 2024
stunning aurora today in boucherville, quรฉbec ๐#northern-lights #aurora #auroraborealis #canada #quebec #qc pic.twitter.com/SGN8XlEsVB
โ Dani Santos (@danisantoscode) May 11, 2024
The Northern Lights tonight in rural Quebec ๐๐ pic.twitter.com/ma5KUWQa1Q
โ jessika๐ต๐ธ (@kireichampagne) May 11, 2024
Northern lights are putting on a show. #pei #solarstorm pic.twitter.com/ztVzWGCTi3
โ Keith Burgoyne (@keithburgoyne) May 11, 2024
You can indeed see the northern lights over #PEI tonight pic.twitter.com/WbppisfV8w
โ J. Dan Aiken (@JDanAiken) May 11, 2024
Northern lights on the way back from @TACTraumaCanada 2024 in Halifax! pic.twitter.com/fCbQunMTxw
โ Anisa Nazir (she/her) (@anisanazir) May 11, 2024
The Northern Lights of Labradorโฆ tonight! #NLwx
๐ธ Melissa Sharpe Learning
๐ Churchill Falls pic.twitter.com/rdvt66Atciโ Eddie Sheerr (@EddieSheerr) May 11, 2024
oh my god pic.twitter.com/kSMcAbXtj9
โ Gabrielle Drolet (@gabrielledrolet) May 11, 2024