Severe G4 storm levels were reached on Tuesday night, Nov. 11, according to the National Weather Service.

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

Dazzling images of the northern lights are lighting up social media after a powerful solar storm struck Earth, sending waves of color across the night sky in places rarely touched by auroras.

The phenomenon, a severe G4 geomagnetic storm, hit late Tuesday night, Nov. 11, and reached the US, triggered by a series of massive solar eruptions.

The storm, confirmed by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, was one of the strongest of the current solar cycle, which lasts around 11 years.

Reports of shimmering green and purple skies came from New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and even as far south as Alabama and far west as northern California. The spectacle delighted skywatchers and photographers, who captured the rare event from coast to coast.

It was fueled by multiple coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, that burst from a highly active sunspot region on the sun. 

The most intense of these ejections was tied to a potent X5.1-class solar flare, with several CMEs merging into what experts call a "cannibal CME." The result was an unusually powerful impact on Earth’s magnetic field.

A closer look at one of the photos released by the National Weather Service.

A closer look at one of the photos released by the National Weather Service.

National Weather Service

As the storm peaked at G4 (severe) level, vibrant auroras became visible in states far south of their usual range. 

NOAA’s latest forecast includes a continued G4 (severe) watch for Wednesday, Nov. 12, and a G3 (strong) watch for Thursday, Nov. 13.

NOAA had warned Tuesday that the geomagnetic storm could also bring minor disruptions to the electrical grid, especially in states north of the 45th parallel, as well as issues with satellite communications and high-frequency radio. 

The agency said, “Confidence in an Earth-component to the most recent CME is high,” but stressed that widespread blackouts are not expected.

This is only the fourth G4 watch NOAA has issued in the past 11 years, marking the event as rare but not unprecedented. 

The agency urged the public to stay alert for updates at spaceweather.gov, as geomagnetic activity is expected to continue through Wednesday.

While the storm is not expected to cause major power outages in the US, its impacts are being watched closely, especially along the East Coast. 

For now, the skies remain the star attraction as the auroras drift further south than most Americans have ever seen.