Area residents snapped dozens of photos of a rare occurrence. Not seen in the area since the early 2000s, skywatchers marveled at the view of the Northern Lights or aurora borealis in the night sky.
Most people would think that seeing such a spectacular sight would require a trip to the north, but scientists say that a coronal mass ejection (CME), or an eruption of solar material caused a powerful geomagnetic storm. The CME was anticipated, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center, to merge and arrive at Earth by late May 10 or early May 11. And that’s exactly what happened.
Just north, outside Kewanee, Roger Malcolm captured the lights with his camera at 2 a.m. Saturday morning. Other area residents posted similar photos, and many of those photos showed the sky taking on a violet hue.
According to space.com, the aurora borealis are described as “beautiful dancing ribbons of light” and have captured the imagination of people for thousands of years.
The violent space storm happens when energized particles from the sun slam into the Earth’s upper atmosphere at high rates of speed. The Earth’s magnetic field acts to protect the planet. The process results in the dazzling light display.
There were concerns, however, by Federal officials, that the storm could disrupt navigation systems, radio communications and the power grid. “Operators of critical infrastructures” such as power grids were put on alert, according to media reports.
If you didn’t get a chance to witness the lights, scientists say there could be another chance to view the event throughout the weekend.
