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Solar Storms May Produce Faint Auroras Across Northern Hemisphere

The northern lights, or the aurora borealis, appear in the sky over Rat Lake in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories on Thursday, Aug.8, 2024. (Bill Braden /The Canadian Press via AP)

Solar storms originating from the weekend are expected to create faint colorful auroras across the Northern Hemisphere, as per space forecasters on Monday. The sun has emitted at least five strong solar flares since Saturday, carrying clouds of high-energy plasma that have the potential to disrupt power grids and GPS signals. However, there have been no significant communication issues reported thus far.

In May, unusually potent solar storms led to mesmerizing aurora displays across the Northern Hemisphere. The recent event that generated light shows over the weekend is anticipated to be briefer but could still result in faint auroras visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California on Monday night.

The sun's magnetic field is presently at the peak of its 11-year cycle, leading to more frequent occurrences of storms and aurora displays.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is responsible for all content.

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