NEW YORK (PIX11) — The aurora borealis lit up the night this week, offering a rare light show in the sky over New York, but what exactly causes the northern lights, and what’s the likelihood of us getting another glimpse anytime soon?
The special sight came as a result of a severe G4-level geomagnetic storm, according to experts at NOAA. Geomagnetic storms are caused by an eruption of solar material and magnetic fields, known as plasma, that eject from the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere.
That eruption is known as a coronal mass ejection, which can cause geomagnetic storms when it arrives at Earth.
While geomagnetic storms can spur a show of the northern lights over the country, they can also impact technology and infrastructure such as power grids, GPS, and communication devices.
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The aurora borealis dazzled New York residents for two nights in a row on Tuesday and Wednesday, stretching across the five boroughs, Long Island and upstate. The northern lights are expected to shine again on Thursday but will mainly be visible in the northern tip of the state.
To stay up to date on the next aurora forecast, click here.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.
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