Incredible northern lights seen in parts of Canada they normally wouldn’t be
By Shannon Carranco, CTVNews.ca writer
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TORONTO (CTV Network) — Canada’s sky became a brilliant mosaic of deep purples and vibrant blues and greens on Sunday night.
A severe Level 4 geomagnetic storm caused a radiant show of aurora borealis that could be seen across southern Canada.
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), over a billion tons of “superheated magnetized gas,” also known as a coronal mass ejection, erupted from the sun on Friday.
The gas travelled at over three million kilometres an hour, arriving to Earth earlier and stronger than the NOAA expected.
Canadians posted photos of the dancing lights: deep magentas in Fredericton, N.B., and light teal greens in Calgary. Even the Greater Toronto Area was able to see some northern lights action.
The next three years are expected to be prime northern lights viewing, according to this website. NASA says that the sun’s magnetic cycle “ramps up into overdrive” every 11 years, also known as the solar maximum.
“Along the way, changes in the Sun’s magnetism produce a greater number of sunspots, more energy and cause solar eruptions of particles,” NASA’s website says.
The sun is expected to reach the solar maximum in 2025, making 2023 a good year for aurora borealis viewing.
Jamie in Sprucedale, Ont. captured this photo of greens and blues near Muskoka.
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