Northern lights dazzle over Shelby County

AREA — Strong solar storms have caused shimmering auroras in the sky, filling it with an array of vibrant colors, and according to NASA and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the solar cycle has caused the auroras to be viewed further south than normal.Tuesday and Wednesday, the northern lights were visible in areas typically outside the viewing range, including Shelby County. The spectacular display was also seen as far south as Florida, Alabama, and Texas. The sun is currently at the maximum phase of its 11-year cycle, making solar surges and northern lights more frequent, experts say. “We still could possibly get some good shows in the next few months,” said NASA’s Kelly Korreck.  According to NOAA, the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) occur when energized electrons collide with gases in Earth’s upper atmosphere. These electrons, accelerated in Earth’s magneto-sphere, travel along magnetic field lines toward the poles, striking oxygen and nitrogen atoms. The collisions excite the atoms, which release light as they return to lower energy states—similar to how a neon light works. Earth’s magnetic field shapes auroras into two ovals around the magnetic poles. During strong geomagnetic storms, these ovals expand, allowing the lights to be visible farther from the poles—even across much of the United States. Auroras take many forms, often resembling curtains or arcs that ripple, twist, and brighten during substorms before fading into diffuse, cloud-like patches by morning.The best viewing is between 60° and 75° latitude, where auroras appear more than half the nights each year. When space weather intensifies, the lights stretch farther toward the equator—as seen this week, when they reached unusually low latitudes across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.