Solar storm has reached Earth, could bring auroras to U.S. South

Northern Lights seen from Sterling Heights, Michigan, on Oct. 10, when a solar storm brought stunning auroras to Europe and the United States. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post) By Kasha Patel and Anna Phillips

The sun probably produced its best eruption of the year so far — and began bringing an aurora to the western United States on Sunday.

A “severe” solar storm — rated a level 4 out of 5 — arrived on Earth earlier than NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center had forecast on Saturday. Northern lights were visible as far south as New Mexico, and vivid displays were photographed in Wyoming, Utah and Washington state.

Before dawn, the aurora could even be detected in the Mid-Atlantic with a camera — which is more sensitive to light than the naked eye.

“This one has some potenti