Georgia residents who saw a rare light show in the sky last night could get an even better view tonight as a powerful solar storm heads toward Earth.
What’s Happening: A massive burst of energy from the sun is making its way to Earth and could create the northern lights over Georgia after sunset tonight. This storm is even stronger than the one that lit up skies across the state last night.
What’s Important: The best time to watch is right after sunset. Look north and use your smartphone’s night mode camera to see the colors. Some people were able to see the lights with their own eyes last night.
Between the Lines: The storm was supposed to hit Earth around midday, but it hasn’t arrived yet. The later it comes, the better chance Georgians have to see it after dark.
What This Means: These light shows happen when huge clouds of energy from the sun hit Earth’s magnetic field. Weather forecasters are calling this a G4 storm, which is strong enough to push the northern lights much farther south than normal.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
