Slideshow: Northern Lights illuminate the sky

An intense solar storm has the northern lights gracing the skies farther south than usual.

Forecasters say a blast of superhot material from the sun late last week hurled scorching gases known as plasma toward Earth at nearly 2 million mph.

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  The northern lights are visible over Anchorage, Alaska, early Wednesday, April 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

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  The northern lights are seen over a farm near Pulaski, Wis., on Sunday, April 23, 2023. An intense solar storm has the aurora borealis gracing the skies farther south than usual. (Sarah Kloepping/The Post-Crescent via AP)

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  An aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, is seen in the night sky on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, near Washtucna, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

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  The northern lights are visible over Anchorage, Alaska, early Wednesday, April 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says Earth felt the brunt of the storm Sunday. Conditions eased Monday, but auroras might still be visible as far south as South Dakota and Iowa. NOAA says this is the third severe geomagnetic storm since the current 11-year solar cycle began in 2019. The cycle will peak in 2024.

from KTLA https://ift.tt/WqgtE5Y