Stunning photos of fresh aurora northern lights flood social media; check them out

As a solar storm brings the northern lights to the skies farther south, social media is flooding with mesmerizing images of the fresh aurora borealis citied in the United States of America and United Kingdoms.

The Space Weather Prediction Center of US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had earlier issued a “strong geomagnetic storm watch” for 29-31 July.

The solar activity peaked on Tuesday as aurora-causing solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the sun reached the Earth, said the NOAA.

It had further added that the auroras could be visible as far south as Illinois and Oregon in the USA.

Check social media posts on aurora sightings here:

Here's how netizens reacted: 

“Amazing! #Aurora has dropped as far south as Wyoming, USA during this ongoing #solarstorm! This is an auspicious start to the mutliple storm train we are expecting over the next few days,” a Space Weather Physicist said. 

“Absolutely beautiful,” one user commented.

“Wow!! Where in Colorado are you? We’re in Boulder hoping to see them,” said another. 

“Starting to show here in NorCal too! Mid-lats woohoooo,” another user commented.

“Caught this over Lake Ontario in Baker NY with an iPhone 14 Pro, 30sec exposure and a tripod,” one user said.

What causes auroras?

Heightened solar activity leads to the display of auroras near Earth's poles, referred to as the northern lights, or aurora borealis, and the southern lights, or aurora australis.

When energized particles from coronal mass ejections encounter Earth's magnetic field, they interact with atmospheric gases, producing various colored lights in the sky.

According to NASA, the solar storm that hit Earth in early May was the most powerful in twenty years. This surge of solar activity resulted in one of the most intense aurora displays in the last five centuries, making auroras visible as far south as the southern United States and as far north as India.

Sunspots, responsible for unleashing solar flares and coronal mass ejections that cause auroras, are propelled by the star's intense and ever-changing magnetic fields.