The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) meteorologists stated on Tuesday that there had been multiple "coronal mass ejections" (CMEs)—the sun's energetic bursts—and other notable geomagnetic disturbances during the previous several days. On a five-level scale, the agency issued a "G4" geomagnetic storm watch signal, suggesting that severe storms were possible.Even though the northern lights, or aurora borealis, will keep appearing across many US states on Wednesday, some Americans have already posted footage of them online.
Were you able to see the light display that occurred this evening as the clouds parted? Space Weather Center: https://t.co/M5cIvJxUr1 #NorthernLights screenshot.twitter.com/RiDXgF3BqI in
— November 12, 2025—NWS Reno (@NWSReno)
Our current understanding of geomagnetic storms and their causes is as follows.
Solar storms can cause geomagnetic storms when they disrupt Earth's magnetic field. When a solar storm hits Earth, it transforms into a geomagnetic storm.
There are two ways that solar storms can happen. One method is by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are explosive solar gas balloons that may reach speeds of over 1 million mph (1.6 million km/h) on their trip to Earth. These can reach Earth anywhere from fifteen hours to many days after they leave, depending on their speed.
Solar flares, which are abrupt bursts of electromagnetic radiation that reach Earth from the sun, are another kind of solar storm that can develop. They can endure for a few minutes or even hours and travel at light speed, arriving at Earth in around eight minutes.
When the sun's magnetic fields realign, both of these things take place. The occurrence of both is common, though not guaranteed.
Solar flares seem like brilliant bursts of light traveling in several directions, but CMEs can look like massive clouds of particles being thrown in one direction when viewed via solar observatories. To paraphrase what NASA has said, it's like the difference between a muzzle flash and a cannonball fired in the other direction.
On Tuesday, the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center estimated that three CMEs will pass Earth in the next three days.
The NASA said early Wednesday that two of the CMEs—which initially erupted on November 9 and 10—had already touched Earth in an update. An agency scientist named Shawn Dahl claimed in a video update that they "packed quite a punch" on X.
The storms reached G4 in intensity, according to Dahl, who described them as "profoundly more strong than we anticipated" and added that the weather service had originally predicted a G2-level storm.
The space agency has said that Wednesday, at noon Eastern Time (17:00 GMT), a third powerful CME will impact Earth. This one is traveling at a quicker rate than the others. Leading space exploration journal Space.com reports that one of these volcanoes erupted early on November 11, causing brief radio outages over Europe and Africa.
Solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are powerful bursts of energy that the Sun releases into space. As they approach Earth, the charged particles in these flares and CMEs collide with gases in Earth's upper atmosphere, transferring energy to the gases and creating breathtaking displays of multicolored lights ranging from intense pinks to verdant greens.
The "northern lights" refer to the aurora borealis, which are astronomical displays seen only from the Northern Hemisphere in the winter. One can observe the "Southern lights" or aurora australis in the Southern Hemisphere, although the regions where they are visible are home to much fewer people. Due to the fact that the sun's charged particles are guided towards the poles by the Earth's magnetic fields, which are highest there, the lights can only be seen near the poles.
Due to the sun being in its most active phase of its 11-year cycle, light displays have been increasingly frequent in the past several months.
There is a dramatic change in the sun's magnetic field every eleven years. Several months may pass during this time, which is known as the solar maximum. According to scientists, the current cycle's end started last year and will endure until the end of this year, if not longer.
The most powerful geomagnetic storm in 20 years struck Earth in May of 2024, triggering spectacular light shows across Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Taking a picture of the northern lights in Boulder, Colorado using my iPhone right now. What a remarkable occasion! Picture: pic.twitter.com/vkHS00PMLt
As tweeted by Dr. Ryan French: The date is November 12, 2025.
A number of nations have sent out aurora warnings, and on Tuesday night, several locals said they saw dazzling multicolored lights in the sky.
When solar explosions enter and interact with Earth's atmosphere determines their brightness and visibility. Leave well-lit places if you want to see the lights better, according to experts.
Numerous US locations, including Chicago, Colorado, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oregon, Dallas, Atlanta, Bismarck, New York, Cheyenne, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Iowa, have already or will soon see the lights, according to NOAA.
This is simply holding the phone in long exposure mode for three seconds, and it continues running. Northern Lights photographed in Carlow: an incredible spectacle. pic.twitter.com/ws2JQWUcs3 depict
The Weather in Carlow (@CarlowWeather) The date is November 12, 2025.
We anticipate or have received reports of further encounters in
The shielding effect of Earth's atmosphere prevents radiation from reaching humans directly.
But, for a short period of time, the energy bursts may interfere with communication systems, which might have an impact on air traffic control radio, satellites in orbit, and GPS navigation. Intense activity may also cause electrical grids to experience temporary disruptions.
Extremely infrequent solar outbursts have the potential to cause damage. Throughout North America and Europe, telegraph stations caught fire in a violent solar storm that hit in September 1859. There has never been a storm like those, which are collectively known as the Carrington Event.
The United States had extensive power outages and communications interruptions in August 1972 because to severe geomagnetic phenomena, which also led to the unintentional detonation of US naval mines in Vietnam.
The NOAA has reportedly informed US air traffic officials, and a space launch, the specifics of which are unknown, is probably going to be called off, according to Dahl of the NOAA. Officials from the power grid have also been notified, he added.