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Brilliant display of Aurora Borealis is visible from Piedmont area of southwestern Virginia near Richmond on November 8, 2004. The Northern Lights, normally a polar phenomenon, can appear far to the south after strong solar flares eject large, fast-moving 'coronal mass ejections' or 'CMEs' into space and toward earth. When a strong CME impacts earth's magnetosphere, a geomagnetic storm usually results, creating auroras that can be visible as far south as Florida and Texas. Image from 35mm slide.
[ View more photos and a detailed summary from this chase ]
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