(EP) 2016 began with an explosion–not only of fireworks, but also auroras. On Jan. 1st, a G2-class geomagnetic storm sparked bright lights around the poles as revelers around the world were ringing in the New Year. In Glenfarg, Scotland, fireworks crackled against a backdrop of green: “Our neighbours let off some fireworks for the New Year,” says photographer Stuart Walker. “They were modest compared to the organized display in Edinburgh, but looked great alongside the ongoing aurora.”
The storm was the result of a CME strike on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31 @ 00:30 UT). At first the CME’s impact had little effect. Indeed, we initially ruled it a “dud.” But as Earth moved deeper into the CME’s wake, solar wind conditions shifted to favor geomagnetic activity. The very first sighting of auroras in 2016 may have come from Taichi Nakamura, across the International Date Line in Dunedin, New Zealand: FULL REPORT
