May’s northern lights were the space spectacle of a lifetime, scientists say

Two weeks ago, an epic display of auroras danced across the night sky from the United States to Jamaica to South Africa. Now, space scientists are saying the solar storm event was the most impressive in decades and, by some measures, even centuries.

On May 10 and 11, an “extreme” geomagnetic storm — hitting the most severe level of intensity — bombarded the Earth’s atmosphere unleashing widespread beautiful auroras. New analysis shows the magnetic activity from the storm was the strongest since 1989, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center. The display of auroras was also among the most vibrant in 500 years, according to NASA.