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West Central Illinois | 2025 approximately is a solar maximum period. It’s an average of an eleven year cycle. Basically a high point of number solar flares.
If they throw a coronal mass ejection our way, it takes a few days to get here and interact with earths magnetic field. If the electrons from the sun are strong enough to get through our magnetic field they can excite oxygen and nitrogen molecules in our upper atmosphere causing them to glow - green and red for oxygen and blue and purple from nitrogen.
If the solar storm is really powerful it can interfere with our electric grid and radio communications. Remember last year there were a couple of days it knocked out GPS signals.
So far it’s been an extra good show this time. This photo was taken last August in southern Wisconsin.
Edited by GregWCIL 4/4/2025 14:29
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While you were sleeping…….
