This weekend, a solar storm turned skies into a celestial disco from London to Los Angeles, painting auroras in neon greens and pinks. But how does our sun — a fiery ball averaging 5,500°C — create such otherworldly magic? Let’s break it down like a TikTok explainer. 🔥
🌞 Sun’s Fiery ‘Burps’ 101
Think of the sun as a caffeinated space giant. Its magnetic fields twist and snap, shooting out bursts of plasma (supercharged gas) and ions — aka coronal mass ejections (CMEs). NASA playfully calls these explosions solar ‘burps’! When these charged particles hit Earth’s magnetosphere, they party with our atmosphere, creating the Northern and Southern Lights. 💃
Why This Storm’s a Big Deal
This weekend’s light show is one of the strongest in 20 years, according to space weather experts. While harmless to humans, such storms can occasionally disrupt satellites — so maybe don’t blame Elon if your GPS acts up! 🛰️
Pro tip for stargazers: Follow space weather apps (yes, that’s a thing) to catch future auroras. Next time the sun ‘burps’, you’ll be ready! 📸
