Sky-watchers, get ready for some cosmic inspo! 🌌 Yesterday morning (Nov 12), at 8 a.m., ground and space-based instruments flagged a powerful geomagnetic storm over northern China. The global geomagnetic activity index (Kp) hit 9—the max level—meaning Earth's magnetic shield got a serious solar smackdown.
So what's going on? Solar eruptions hurl charged particles toward us, and when they collide with atoms in our upper atmosphere, they spark dazzling auroras. These curtains of green, pink and purple lights are most common near the poles—but with a Kp of 9, even mid-latitude skies joined the party.
From Inner Mongolia to Heilongjiang, people snapped pics of the night sky ablaze. On social media, hashtags like #AuroraAlert and #SpaceWeather are blowing up as amateur and pro photographers share time-lapses and stunning shots. If you're in South or Southeast Asia, keep an eye out—strong storms can send auroras farther south than usual.
Curious for the next show? Stay tuned to space weather updates so you won't miss the next geomagnetic beat. Until then, keep looking up! 🌠
Reference(s):
Geomagnetic storm sparks spectacular auroras over northern China
cgtn.com
