"Unpredictable Solar Storms Bring Spectacular Auroras to Earth"
The strongest solar storm in nearly six years hit Earth on March 24, catching space weather forecasters by surprise. The storm peaked as a severe G4 on the 5-grade scale used by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and was caused by a "stealth" coronal mass ejection (CME), which is difficult to detect. The storm caused auroras visible as far south as New Mexico and forced Rocket Lab to delay a launch by 90 minutes. Strong geomagnetic storms can be troublesome for spaceflight as they increase the density of gases in Earth's upper atmosphere, thereby increasing the drag on satellites and other spacecraft.