'A breathtaking sight': Canadians in awe over vibrant northern lights across the country — see the photos

A powerful solar storm provided millions of people worldwide with a rare sight of the Aurora borealis.

Chris Stoodley
·Lifestyle and News Editor
Updated ·4 min read
MANNING PARK, BRITISH COLUMBIA - MAY 11: The Aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, is seen on May 11, 2024 in Manning Park, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images)
The Aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, is seen on May 11, 2024 in Manning Park, B.C. (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images)

The northern lights were on full display for a large part of Canada, the U.S. and other parts the world on Friday night. A powerful geomagnetic storm offered millions of people a chance to see the vibrant auroras, kicking off the weekend with a dazzle that left many people in awe.

Ahead of the event, forecasters at the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) at the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a geomagnetic storm watch. They stated on Friday that "watches at this level are very rare," according to The Weather Network.

This event was first ranked as a "severe" G4 on the scale experts use to measure geomagnetic storms. According to the scale, storms can range from a minor intensity at G1 to an extreme intensity at G5. The watch issued by the SWPC yesterday was its first G4-level since January 2005.

But six hours later, the agency noted G5 levels began around 6:54 p.m. EDT. This marked the first time these levels were recorded since October 2003. Back then, the storm was so intense it caused power outages in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.

MANNING PARK, BRITISH COLUMBIA - MAY 11: Aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights is seen on May 11, 2024 in Manning Park, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images)
Aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights is seen on May 11, 2024 in Manning Park, B.C. (Photo by Andrew Chin/Getty Images)

This is happening due to huge bursts of charged particles that are carried along the solar wind, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME). Since Wednesday, the sun has produced a series of CMEs that headed towards Earth. A CME often arises after solar flares erupt from sunspots, which happen to be more prevalent now as the sun sees maximum solar activity in its 11-year cycle.

While auroras are one part of the effects of a geomagnetic storm, the surge of charged particles into the atmosphere can cause radio blackouts and GPS disruptions. Storms at the highest levels can sometimes even threaten power grids.

While clouds obscured views for some Canadians on Friday night, several people across the country captured stunning photos of the northern lights. From British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador, see the gleaming snapshots people from coast to coast shared on social media from the rare event.