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Northern Lights May Make a Spectacular Return to Utah Sunday Night
Utah Residents Could See the Aurora Borealis Again Just Two Weeks After Last Sighting
An Unusual Amount of Solar Flare Activity is Causing Experts to Predict a G4 Geomagnetic Storm
After a stunning display of color painted the Utah sky just two weeks ago, the northern lights are predicted to make a return appearance Sunday night.
This is the first G4 geomagnetic storm watch issued by the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) since 2005.
"This is a significant event," said SWPC forecaster Rob Steenburgh. "We're expecting to see some of the strongest aurora activity in years."
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is caused by the interaction of charged particles from the sun with the Earth's magnetic field.
When the solar flares reach the Earth's atmosphere, they collide with atoms and molecules, causing them to emit light.
The color of the aurora depends on the type of atom or molecule that is excited.
Sunday night's aurora is expected to be visible in the northern parts of the state, including Salt Lake City, Park City, and Ogden.
Forbes
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