#Aurora: Northern and southern lights visible far and wide thanks to solar ejection
Coronal mass ejection made lights visible farther away from Earth's poles than usual
Photos of the aurora borealis — and aurora australis, as it's known in the southern hemisphere — were trending on Twitter overnight as Earth's atmosphere showed the effects of a solar storm.
A coronal mass ejection occurred Sunday, sending a stream of charged particles from the sun to the Earth and making northern and southern lights visible farther away from the poles than usual.
While cloud cover obscured the aurora for many people, that wasn't an issue for astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
I've never seen this before- red <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aurora?src=hash">#aurora</a>. Spectacular! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YearInSpace?src=hash">#YearInSpace</a> <a href="http://t.co/j2DVejt974">pic.twitter.com/j2DVejt974</a>
—@StationCDRKellyDay 87. The red curtain of an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aurora?src=hash">#aurora</a> closes on another day. Good night from <a href="https://twitter.com/Space_Station">@space_station</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YearInSpace?src=hash">#YearInSpace</a> <a href="http://t.co/NUyJkGKy9y">pic.twitter.com/NUyJkGKy9y</a>
—@StationCDRKellyCanadians living in regions with clear skies were treated to a light show as the solar particles interacted with the Earth's magnetic field.
Taken at 2:56AM this morning. Cavendish, <a href="https://twitter.com/ParksCanadaPEI">@ParksCanadaPEI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Northernlights?src=hash">#Northernlights</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PEI?src=hash">#PEI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canada?src=hash">#Canada</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AuroralActivity">@AuroralActivity</a> <a href="http://t.co/TJBXRnYU8s">pic.twitter.com/TJBXRnYU8s</a>
—@TrishaBourqueSummertime field work is awesome <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fieldphoto?src=hash">#fieldphoto</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ecologist?src=hash">#ecologist</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PhD?src=hash">#PhD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aurora?src=hash">#aurora</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/photography?src=hash">#photography</a> <a href="http://t.co/QPICGrOpqA">pic.twitter.com/QPICGrOpqA</a>
—@biolumiJEFFenceDoes it count as an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mbstorm?src=hash">#mbstorm</a> if it comes from the Sun? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/winnipeg?src=hash">#winnipeg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/northernlights?src=hash">#northernlights</a> <a href="http://t.co/DjjphDHo9u">pic.twitter.com/DjjphDHo9u</a>
—@workieSightings of the northern lights are rarer in the U.S. and the U.K., so photos that captured the light show in those countries are particularly special.
WOW! Northern Lights seen well south tonight from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Photo: Chris Cook. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aurora?src=hash">#Aurora</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NorthernLights?src=hash">#NorthernLights</a> <a href="http://t.co/uQ08poEaxt">pic.twitter.com/uQ08poEaxt</a>
—@mark_tarelloAurora over Northern Minnesota. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/aurora?src=hash">#aurora</a> <a href="http://t.co/IfLnHhx0Oe">pic.twitter.com/IfLnHhx0Oe</a>
—@redwhitepineAurora Borealis as seen from the <a href="https://twitter.com/MWObs">@MWObs</a> observatory in New Hampshire tonight <a href="http://t.co/L5FKvsbxKA">pic.twitter.com/L5FKvsbxKA</a>
—@WalldoAurora last night over <a href="https://twitter.com/BreconBeaconsNP">@BreconBeaconsNP</a> cc <a href="https://twitter.com/southwalesargus">@southwalesargus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCRadioWales">@BBCRadioWales</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWalesNews">@BBCWalesNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCWales">@BBCWales</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WeatherCoUK">@WeatherCoUK</a> <a href="http://t.co/jqZiP7vbgl">pic.twitter.com/jqZiP7vbgl</a>
—@huwmjamesBack home now. Here's a quick process of one of my aurora shots from the Quantocks tonight (taken at 23:56UT). <a href="http://t.co/kVAF9hop7F">pic.twitter.com/kVAF9hop7F</a>
—@willgaterThe coronal ejection was massive enough that the aurora australis, or southern lights, was visible in Australia, as well.
A Girl Abroad took this photo - Just a little <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Aurora?src=hash">#Aurora</a> action from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Traralgon?src=hash">#Traralgon</a> this morning! <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCNews24">@ABCNews24</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/774melbourne">@774melbourne</a> <a href="http://t.co/qrXBO84p12">pic.twitter.com/qrXBO84p12</a>
—@abcgippslandBEEEEAAAAAMS!!! At 5:54 AM! From <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kiama?src=hash">#Kiama</a> NSW <a href="https://twitter.com/EpicCosmos">@EpicCosmos</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TamithaSkov">@TamithaSkov</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SussanSays">@SussanSays</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Aus_ScienceWeek">@Aus_ScienceWeek</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ObservingSpace">@ObservingSpace</a> <a href="http://t.co/XViEFdkCBj">pic.twitter.com/XViEFdkCBj</a>
—@rudiphotoSo this happened in Jindabyne this morning! Stunning ���� <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AuroraAustralis?src=hash">#AuroraAustralis</a> �� thx to Moonbah Huts <a href="http://t.co/31OOLvlv0q">pic.twitter.com/31OOLvlv0q</a>
—@SNOWSEARCH_aus