Last Thursday night, the usually elusive Northern Lights made a surprising appearance over Middle Tennessee, painting the sky with stunning colors, as reported by WSMV4. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) Nashville, the conditions were prime due to a severe G4 geomagnetic storm and "little to no clouds in the night sky," affording residents an incredible viewing experience. The WSMV4 report indicates the phenomenon occurs when electrons collide with atoms in Earth's atmosphere, creating vivid lights much like a neon sign.
Lots of photos across Middle TN of the #Auroraborealis tonight! We decided to give it a shot ourselves featuring a special guest, the radar! Considering the surrounding light pollution from Nashville, not too bad. You can learn more about the Aurora here https://t.co/cOAjeDBmkQ pic.twitter.com/dne3brrraD
— NWS Nashville (@NWSNashville) October 11, 2024
Affirming the viewer's preparedness, Chief Meteorologist Katy Morgan, with the promise of an "X-Class" solar flare, projected another opportunity to witness this natural marvel, as announced in a statement obtained by FOX17.
The auroras, resulting from the sun's ejection of particles towards Earth and their subsequent interplay with the magnetosphere, cast a radiant glow well worth the late-night look. The NWS goes on to explain that these lights are "the result of electrons colliding with the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere," as stated by WSMV.
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a “Geomagnetic Storm Watch” for Thursday night, forecasting a level G4 (on a scale of 5) geomagnetic storm until 1 a.m. Friday, as per WKRN.