New Aurora Pictures: Solar Flare Sparks "Snakes," "Spears"

Looking Up

Photograph by A. Safar

An unusually strong burst of green auroras paints the skies over Edmonton, Canada, on September 3.

While this weekend's geomagnetic storms were essentially atmospheric fireworks, solar storms can adversely affect spacewalking astronauts, Earth-orbiting satellites, and even communications and power systems on the ground.

(Related: "Auroras Seen on Uranus For First Time.")

Published September 6, 2012

Not-So-Dark Phoenix

Photograph by Ole C. Salomonsen

Northern Norway is known for great auroral displays, and this week's geomagnetic storm—pictured lighting up the Tromsø countryside—was no exception.

"I have seen a few auroras in my life, and I have been to this location a few times, but this was just sick!" astrophotographer Ole Salomonsen wrote on spaceweather.com. "I think all I can say is WOW!"

Published September 6, 2012

River of Light

Photograph by David Cartier, Sr.

A winding stream of yellow and green auroras are mirrored in the Yukon River outside of Whitehorse, Canada, early Monday.

While this week's display was impressive, it did have to compete with the glare of a waning gibbous (more than half full) moon. When Earth's natural satellite is above the horizon, it can wash out all but the most intense of displays with its light.

Published September 6, 2012

Arctic Tendrils

Photograph by Debbie O'Brien

Bright northern lights can catch people off guard, but in high-latitude locales such as Kuujjuak, Canada, auroras become a fairly common sight as nights lengthen at summer's end.

"These were just out of this world—all over the place," photographer Debbie O'Brien wrote of the recent show on spaceweather.com.

Published September 6, 2012

Morning Glory

Photograph by Ole C. Salomonsen

A supernova-like burst of mostly purple auroras lights up Finnish countryside early Monday in a wide-angle sky shot.

"After hours of waiting for the big aurora to show from the CME, and waiting for clouds to go away, I was about to give up. Then suddenly a spark on the horizon, which just grew, and grew and grew!" photographer Ole Salomonsen wrote on spaceweather.com.

Published September 6, 2012

Purple Rain?

Photograph by Oskar Pettersson

Spectacular ribbon and burst patterns of green auroras blanket skies over Lulea, Sweden, early Monday—but not too early.

"I was surprised to still see some auroras, glad I checked, because it sparked to life in green and purple just when I went out," astrophotographer Oskar Pettersson wrote on spaceweather.com.

Published September 6, 2012

Spears Over Norway

Photograph by Fredrik Broms

Like javelins of light hurled from the heavens, northern lights appear to be aimed at Kvaløya, Norway.

Sky-watchers may have noticed the uptick in auroras this past year as the sun approaches what's known as solar maximum in early 2013—a peak in activity during our star's roughly 11-year cycle of magnetic fluctuations. (Related: "Hyperactive Sun Helping to Clear Out Space Junk.")

Published September 6, 2012

Space Snake

Photograph by Sylvain Serre

A snaking green aurora greeted sky-watchers in the northern Quebec town of Ivujivik early Monday.

While this weekend's solar storms put on a great display, the geomagnetic disturbances weren't intense enough to cause more than sporadic radio blackouts, and only near high Arctic regions. (See "As Sun Storms Ramp Up, Electric Grid Braces for Impact.")

Published September 6, 2012

Bright Lights, Big City

Photograph by P-M Hedén

With a fleet of sun-watching satellites currently in orbit, aurora-chasers can usually get a couple of days notice when a solar storm seems headed our way.

This weekend, for instance, photographer P-M Hedén was at the ready well before auroras kicked into gear above the lights of Stockholm, Sweden, and of passing planes—seen in a long-exposure photograph.

"From the beginning we noticed pillars and some movements, and after that, the big bow over the city," Heden said in an email to National Geographic News.

Published September 6, 2012

More Aurora Pictures

Photograph by Tommy Eliassen, My Shot

Published September 6, 2012