From October 10 to October 11, 2024, the Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as the Northern Lights, was visible in the sky for those in the Philadelphia and New Jersey regions. The multicolor lights decorated the world above for those lucky enough to witness them. It was a dazzling sight.
To better understand why this phenomenon occurred, one must first understand how the Aurora Borealis occurs. From the expertise of Kingsway’s very own AP Physics teacher, Mr. Simmermon, here’s how they work. The Earth has a magnetic field that attracts charged particles called ions. The solar wind, made of charged particles released from the sun, is attracted by Earth’s magnetic field. Influenced by this field, the ions get trapped in a helical spiral towards the Earth, following the direction of the Magnetic Field’s lines. These ions hit Earth’s atmosphere, causing the energy of air molecules to increase as the particles become ionized, or charged; when the molecules release that energy, it comes off as light. That light is known as Aurora Borealis— the Northern Lights.
Like its name suggests, the lights typically occur in more northern areas, like Alaska, but a special event allowed the sight be seen much further south. That event was a geometric storm. These storms are caused by explosions on the surface of the sun, releasing large amounts of plasma and solar wind. As a result, it disturbs Earth’s magnetic field. The larger the storm, the greater the disruption, which makes the Northern Lights visible to a wider range of areas. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the NOAA, they had predicted a storm up to level G4, and a storm of such strength that it would (and did) allow regions further south, like Pennsylvania and New Jersey, to view the colors in the sky.
Most people go their entire lives without seeing such beauty. It is a privilege and a rarity, especially when one does not live in the North. Auroras are a breathtaking and mesmerizing experience, and those who have witnessed them should consider themselves very lucky. Many dream of traveling to chase the lights, hoping to glimpse its radiance, but on this cold night in October, it just so happened to visit them in their backyard.