CHANCE OF STORMS TODAY: There is a 50% chance of G1-class geomagnetic storms today, Dec. 24th, as a high-speed stream of solar wind buffets Earth's magnetic field. Inside the stream, south-pointing magnetic fields are weakening Earth's defenses against the solar wind, boosting the odds of high-latitude auroras. Solar flare alerts: SMS Text.

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: A high-speed stream of solar wind hit Earth on Dec. 23rd, sparking G1-class geomagnetic storms and auroras around the Arctic Circle. Markus Varik photographed the light show from Tromsø, Norway:

"We were on a tour with a small family - parents and their two kids," says Varik. "Once the aurora made their full appearance, they were screaming, laughing, crying, everything you can imagine. It really is overwhelming to experience the auroras at that full glory."

It's not over yet. The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) near Earth is tipping south, a condition that lowers our planet's defenses against the solar wind. With solar wind speeds nearing 600 km/s, more G1-class storms are likely on Christmas Eve. Aurora alerts: SMS Text.

more images: from Jónína Óskarsdóttir of Fáskrúðsfjörður, Iceland; from Blaine Bronson of Fairbanks, Alaska;

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