Much of Washington could see northern lights due to ‘cannibal solar storm’

Part of Washington could see the northern lights due to heightened geomagnetic activity.

A “cannibal solar storm” made contact with the Earth’s magnetic field on Monday, Space.com said, resulting in a geomagnetic storm that lit up skies across Europe and North America overnight.

During that storm, one coronal mass ejection swept up another en route to Earth, Space.com explained.

Skygazers in Washington could still catch a glimpse of colorful dancing lights known as the aurora borealis.

What are northern lights?

Auroras are caused by “electrons colliding with the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

The sun’s particles collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, resulting in a spectacular light show. Typically, aurora boreali