There’s been a significant solar storm over parts of Canada
An impressive solar storm could be seen from parts of Northern Canada this week.
Matt Melnyk, a pilot who was travelling from Calgary, Alberta, to London, England on Jan. 19, sent impressive pictures to CBC.
“This was the historical view from 37,000 feet [11.2 kilometres] over northern Manitoba, Hudson Bay and Baffin Island in Canada,” Melnyk wrote.
“This flight I will remember for days to come.”
This photo of the northern lights was taken by a pilot who was travelling from Calgary, Alberta, to London, England, on Jan. 19. (Image submitted by Matt Melnyk)
Solar storms are caused by flares of energy travelling from the sun’s surface into space.
When this energy makes contact with Earth, it creates a phenomenon known as the northern lights.
The scientific name is aurora borealis.
NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in the U.S. predicted there was a high likelihood of seeing them this week.
That’s because the sun released two powerful solar flares.
To understand what causes the northern lights, watch this video:
Check out these other videos:
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With files from Nicole Mortillaro/CBC