The northern lights that were visible in cities throughout the US in May were epic if you were lucky enough to catch them. But, according to a handful of documents I just obtained, space weather scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the celestial event also wreaked a bit of havoc. Plus, remember when the newly created US Space Force unveiled its widely-mocked uniform in January 2020? I finally got some documents that shed a little light on the uniform — and on how Star Trek influenced its sartorial aesthetic. If you’re not already getting FOIA Files in your inbox, sign up here.
The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is a colorful display in the night sky that comes from geomagnetic storms in space. When charged particles from the sun smash into the Earth’s upper atmosphere, they create bright, kaleidoscopic ribbons of light, typically in polar regions. Really big solar action can interfere with GPS systems and power grids.