"Surge in Northern Lights Activity Across the US"

The northern and southern lights have been visible further south than usual in recent months due to increased solar activity. Auroras are caused by coronal mass ejections from the sun, which emit electrified gas and particles into space. Once these particles reach Earth's atmosphere, they interact with gases, producing different colored light in the sky. The recent uptick in geomagnetic activity was driven by a "large and magnetically complex" sun spot region known as AR3234. The sun goes through an 11-year solar cycle, and we are now approaching a solar maximum, expected to occur in July 2025, which will be a time when there are a large number of sunspots and increased solar activity.