A solar storm on Thursday is expected to make the Northern Lights visible in 17 states

A solar storm forecast for Thursday is expected to give skygazers in 17 American states a chance to glimpse the Northern Lights, the colorful sky show that happens when solar wind hits the atmosphere. Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are most often seen in Alaska, Canada and Scandinavia, but an 11-year solar cycle that’s expected to peak in 2024 is making the lights visible in places farther to the south. Three months ago, the light displays were visible in Arizona, marking the third severe geomagnetic storm since the current solar cycle began in 2019.

tips

skygazer：太空观测者（gaze 凝视，注视）

glimpse：一瞥；瞥见（词源同glimmer，一丝光线）

aurora：欧罗拉（曙光女神）；曙光

borealis：北极星

aurora borealis：n. 北极光，北极之光

severe：严格的

geomagnetic：地磁的（geo- 地，地球；magnet 磁铁🧲）