Residents in Sarnia-Lambton were able to witness a spectacular northern lights show over the weekend as a result of a rare geomagnetic storm.
“I felt like a little child in wonder looking up,” Ronny D’Haene told The Journal. The local photographer was among many residents who were able to capture some stunning images of the lights show.
“A rare and severe G4 magnitude geomagnetic storm was prompted by an unusual solar event,” the Canadian Space Agency stated. “A large cluster of sunspots has unleashed several moderate to strong coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These bursts of radiation are the solar system's largest explosive events.”
According to the Weather Network, the geomagnetic storm led to predictions of spectacular auroras on Friday night, “but a last-minute bump in intensity meant the show was on in full force,” and visible to millions.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it was the strongest geomagnetic storm to hit earth since 2003.