West Chicago residents posted pictures all over social media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat of the Aurora Borealis or the “Northern Lights” on the nights of Nov. 11th and 12th.
Because the northern lights are a very rare phenomenon that mainly occurs in the northern hemisphere, many are shocked that the lights were seen from the Midwest.
“…that we were able to see something that many people travel very far to see. Definitely a surreal moment,” Liv Mertinat, Batavia resident, said.
West Chicago Community High School (WCCHS) students were thrilled to see them.
“I saw colors I had never seen before. Shocked me to my very core,” Tyler Benton, a junior, said.
The lights occur when energized particles from the production of the sun, called solar wind. When the solar wind collides with the particles from the Earth’s atmosphere, and the magnetic field. The solar wind particles accumulate energy in the atmosphere, and when it is finally released, a stream of color follows. The Aurora borealis.
But the phenomenon of lights happens all the time, so why are the lights so prominent nowadays, especially in rarer places such as the Midwest?
Currently, the sun is causing a “solar storm,” ejecting a larger amount of particles into the Earth’s atmosphere. Although these are not common, they’re not unusual.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of Space Weather Prediction reported the strongest solar flare of the cycle on the evening of Veterans Day, causing the lights to shine through the Midwest.
“The Northern lights may be possible to see in every state,” Eric Snitil, chief meteorologist for WROC, said.
The solar flares that cause the lights are prone to causing technological issues as well. Some of the problems could be GPS navigation errors, radio station malfunctions, communication blackouts, and more.
West Chicago residents have reported a malfunction in their cellphones all around the West Chicago area.
“I tried to call my mom four times after sports, and it just kept saying call failed,” junior Michael Richardson said.
Although these issues may not be connected, it is still a rare coincidence.
The aurora borealis will be seen throughout the country the entire week due to the intensity of solar flares.