Strong solar storm hits Earth, could disrupt communications and produce northern lights in US

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NOAA alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit to take precautions.

A NASA image shows a solar flare. The storm could produce northern lights as far south in the U.S. as Alabama and Northern California, according to NOAA. | NASA/SDO via APCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An unusually strong solar storm hitting Earth could produce northern lights in the U.S. this weekend and potentially disrupt power and communications.

“For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. Snap a picture of the sky and “there might be actually a nice little treat there for you,” said Mike Bettwy, operations chief for the prediction center.

An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003, for example, took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.

 

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