Northern regions are gearing up for a spectacular light show, to be performed by the sun.
In this x-ray photo provided by NASA, the sun is shown early in the morning of Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010. The dark arc near the top right edge of the image is a filament of plasma blasting off the surface part of the coronal mass ejection. The bright region is an unassociated solar flare. When particles from the eruption reach Earth on the evening of Aug. 3-4, they may trigger a brilliant auroral display known as the Northern Lights. (AP Photo/NASA)
After two minor solar storms on Sunday, the sun shot hefty amounts of plasma towards Earth. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), launched in February to explore the deep layers of the sun, captured the eruption on camera. The emitted cosmic material, made up of ionized atoms, is expected to arrive late Tuesday night or early Wednesday.
Areas from Maine to Michigan and locations farther north around the globe will bare witness to these unusual northern lights. As colors stain the night sky, satellites and power grids should not be threatened, AP reports.
