Northern lights were epic but concerning to scientists: documents

Spectators gather across Bay Area to see Northern Lights

KTVU's Joey Horta reports from the Chabot Space and Science Center in the Oakland Hills.

The Northern lights that stunned Earthlings in May were epic, to be sure.

But according to Freedom of Information Act documents obtained by Bloomberg's Jason Leopold, they also raised concern among NOAA scientists.

When charged particles from the sun strike the Earth's upper atmosphere, they create bright ribbons of light. That type of solar action can also interfere with GPS systems and power grids , Leopold noted.

According to one internal memo that Leopold obtained, the geomagnetic storm was an "extreme," rare event and if National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists hadn’t been on their game it could have been "catastrophic."

OnMay 14, Clinton Wallace, the director of the Space Weather Prediction Center, described how powerful the celestial phenomenon was.

The May 10 storm caused "significant disruptions across multiple sectors, including navigation, power grids, aviation, and satellite operations," Wallace wrote.

He also noted that the severity of the geomagnetic storm "underscored the interconnectedness and vulnerability of modern infrastructure to space weather."

Although Wallace said the space weather scientists took steps to mitigate any potential disaster, their work "highlighted areas for improvement in preparedness and response."