Increased solar activity causes auroras that dance around Earth’s poles, known as the northern lights, or aurora borealis, and southern lights, or aurora australis. When the energized particles from coronal mass ejections reach Earth’s magnetic field, they interact with gases in the atmosphere to create different colored lights in the sky.

A severe geomagnetic storm put the power grids in at least 11 states at risk this week, posing a threat to millions.

A geomagnetic storm so strong that it lit up skies as far south as Mexico has left sky watchers across the Northern Hemisphere in awe. The overnight spectacle reached as high as G4 on NOAA’s five-step scale and ranks among the most powerful of Solar Cycle 25,

The third coronal mass ejection (CME) arrived on November 12, but its initial impact was surprisingly weaker than expected.

A massive G4 solar storm is racing toward Earth — phone networks, GPS, and power grids face chaos. Here’s what you must know before it hits.

The NOAA issued ongoing space weather alerts in 2025, noting that solar activity, including minor radio blackouts (R1 level), could cause voltage control problems and contribute to grid instability. Such events can lead to protective systems inaccurately tripping critical assets, compounding operational challenges for grid managers.