Rare Red Auroras Illuminate Skies as Sun Creates 'Holy Grail' of Northern Lights

A strong storm of solar plasma struck Earth's magnetic field, causing a rare red aurora that was visible as far south as France and Kansas. The phenomenon is caused by charged particles from the Sun interacting with oxygen molecules in Earth's atmosphere, emitting different colors of light depending on the altitude. The impact of the solar storm was stronger than expected, triggering a geomagnetic storm above Europe and later traveling to North America. This year has seen several incredible displays of the Northern Lights, thanks to an unusually energetic solar cycle.