Photo By Tim Sherman

A picture of the northern lights on October 10. The sky has shades of pink across it.

Brendon Yu ‘27

REPORTER

On the night of October 10, the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, appeared in Pennsylvania, much further south than normal. Though only visible for about 10-20 minutes over the Kennett Square and West Chester areas, the lights were an experience that left a lasting impression on those who saw it. Shawn Fan, a sophomore, said, “It was a really unexpected, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Auroras occur when highly energized particles, ejected from the sun, collide with gasses such as oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere. These particles travel along Earth’s magnetic field lines and enter the atmosphere near the magnetic poles. For this reason, the Northern Lights are typically confined to polar regions like Alaska, Canada, and Scandinavia. Under certain conditions where partially strong geomagnetic storms occur, these colorful lights can extend to much lower latitudes, as they did on this night.

Mr. Dickson, an environmental science teacher at the high school, said, "We need a Sun that is in the active phase of its 11-year activity cycle. It is at its peak presently and will remain so for the next 12 months. During this time, the increased solar activity will reveal more sunspots on the surface. These sunspots signify the results of the Sun's twisted and tangled magnetic field lines." He added, "Because the Sun is a plasma and not a solid, the rotation rate for the poles is slower than at the equator, and this differential rotation leads to an 11-year cycle of solar activity."

The visible Aurora on October 10 arose from a solar flare ear lier in the month. "On Octo ber 1st and for sev eral days after, sun -spots released huge amounts of solar material in an event called a solar flare. When aligned with Earth, this mate r i al fun nels down our own magnetic field lines and cre -ates the beau ti ful Aurora that many of us wit nessed," Dickson said.

Reports by the NOAA indicated that the geomagnetic storm was a G4 – the strongest on the five-level scale used to measure such disturbances – a condition that made the Auroras visible even from South Pennsylvania. The night sky was streaked with waves of green, and in some places, a tinge of purple or crimson. The colors visible depend on which atmospheric gasses the solar particles are interacting with. Interactions with oxygen produce shades of green and red, while nitrogen reactions bring out the iridescent purples and blues.

The spectacle underlined not only the beauty of the Aurora but also the possible perils from the surge in solar activity. "The main concern is for the thousands of orbiting satellites, which could be shorted out with the influx of high-energy particles and radiation. We rely on these every second of our technology-rich lives," said Dickson. He also cited the effects on astronauts and air travelers: "Those in space should be prepared for a dose of extra radiation, and on Earth, people flying in jets will be exposed to greater doses as well." Additionally, these solar storms could affect infrastructure on Earth, potentially leading to a blackout.

Because of the increasing activity of the solar cycle, events like this could become more frequent, providing those across the United States further opportunities to personally experience the Northern Lights. Whether or not these displays return to Pennsylvania in the future, the reminiscence of that unexpected dance of light in the October night sky will be engraved in the minds of all who witnessed it. As Dickson said, “This new edition was as breathtaking as I had imagined. I am looking forward to more opportunities.”