Face of an Angry Sun

A strong coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun produced a G5 geomagnetic storm, the strongest in more than two decades, and a dazzling aurora borealis display on the night of May 10/11, 2024.

The CME occurred from region 3664, near the lower right limb of the Sun in the photo below.

Image of the Sun taken on May 12, 2024, in Vancouver, Washington. A strong CME from region 3664 was responsible for the G5 geomagnetic storm on May 10/11.

I was fortunate to experience and photograph the auroral display from a remote area in south-central Washington State.

Aurora borealis display on the night of May 10/11, 2024, as seen from Dalles Mountain Road near Warwick, Washington.

Aurora borealis display on the night of May 10/11, 2024, as seen from Dalles Mountain Road near Warwick, Washington. Mount Adams is silhouetted near the lower left corner of the image.

The peak of the sunspot cycle is now expected to occur in mid 2025, so more colorful nighttime displays are likely.