Meghalaya seafarer witnesses Aurora Borealis amid most powerful solar storm in 20 years

For Reuben Hnamte, a seafarer from Shillong, Meghalaya, it started as an ordinary day aboard his vessel. "It was May 10, yesterday? We were passing by the white cliffs of Dover," he recounted to India Today NE. Little did Reuben anticipate that the night would unfold into a celestial spectacle unlike any he had ever witnessed.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, erupted across the sky, painting the heavens with a kaleidoscope of colours. "It was at night, and while not as vivid and bright as the photos, my vision still allowed me to take in the spectacular sight in between my work hours," Reuben described, his voice brimming with awe and wonder at the celestial display he had witnessed.

The vibrant display was the result of the most powerful solar storm to strike Earth in over two decades. "Little did we know this Northern Lights was the result of the most powerful solar storm in more than 20 years that struck Earth," he marvelled.

As a seafarer, Reuben cherished moments like these that his profession afforded him. "I get to experience my fair share of the world, mostly Europe and Central America," he said, his voice carrying a sense of gratitude. "That's the life of a cruiser – we get to communicate and share our culture with people from all corners of the globe, and witness natural wonders like the aurora borealis."

Photographs from around the world captured the breathtaking auroras, their hues of pink, purple, green, and other colours dancing across the sky. While typically confined to high latitudes, the storm's intensity brought the celestial phenomenon farther south, treating observers like Reuben to a rare and unforgettable sight.

The extreme G5 geomagnetic conditions observed on May 10 were the first of their kind since 2003, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center. While the storm had the potential to disrupt communications, power grids, and navigation systems, for Reuben, it provided a front-row seat to nature's celestial dance, a memory he will cherish for a lifetime.