Auroral Oval
5 of 7 from A solar storm reaches Earth (images)
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Seen here is one of the Space Weather Prediction Center's forecasts. This model uses solar wind data to forecast the Auroral Oval and the probability of visible auroras in the northern hemisphere. A solar flare on Sunday night caused a coronal mass ejection (CME), where a portion of the Sun's atmosphere breaks off and sends high-energy particles into space. The CME came 10 hours earlier than forecasted but the magnitude of G1 storms was accurate, according to the Boulder, Colo.-based Space Weather Prediction Center, which is part of NOAA.
January 24, 2012 8:20 AM PST
Photo by: NOAA
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