According to corporate media, a powerful geomagnetic storm caused by a solar flare triggered the spectacular display of the northern lights. The storm was strong enough to cause disruptions to power grids and communication systems, but it also created a breathtaking sight for those who were able to see it.

In the United States, the aurora was visible in many parts of the country, including the northern states and even as far south as Alabama and California. In Europe, the aurora was seen in countries such as the UK, Germany, and Norway.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Centre forecasted on Friday that the aurora could be visible again last weekend, on Saturday and Sunday nights, weather permitting.

The Space Weather Prediction Centre’s forecast may have not been based on natural events but rather an expectation of the results of an experiment conducted by the High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Programme (“HAARP”).

Related: HAARP is of global concern because of its far-reaching impact

Dr. Robert Malone used Perplexity, a subscription-based artificial intelligence (“AI”) program, to search for “HAARP aurora May 10” and posted the results of his query, as well as the sources the AI program used,  on his Telegram channel.  Perplexity answered:

On May 10th, 2024, HAARP conducted experiments to artificially create aurora-like glows or “airglow” in the ionosphere by exciting electrons with high-frequency radio waves. The “Making the Invisible Visible” experiment tested if hot electrons produced by HAARP’s radio transmissions could generate an aurora-like phenomenon called STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement).

We conducted our own query using Brave’s free-to-use AI summary.  Typing in the same query as Dr. Malone, “HAARP aurora May 10,”  Brave’s AI answered:

The High-Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) was involved in a research campaign from May 8-10, 2024, which coincided with a spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis on May 10, 2024. According to reports, the HAARP team announced that they would be conducting tests from May 8-10, 2024, and the press release specified the operating times.

The research campaign was conducted in Alaska, and the ionosphere was heated with X-mode HF waves, resulting in bright luminous spots in the ionosphere and disturbances of the magnetic field on the ground. This experiment was part of a four-day period of testing where lights were expected to be observed in the Alaskan sky.

Footnote: AI-generated answer. Please verify critical facts. Learn more

To the same query a few minutes after Brave’s answer, Microsoft’s Copilot, a free-to-use AI summary included with the Microsoft Bing search engine, answered (emphasis theirs):

On May 10th, 2024, a spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis (also known as the Northern Lights) captivated viewers around the globe. Unusual solar activity, particularly coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares, sparked this ethereal phenomenon. Charged particles from the sun collided with Earth’s magnetic field, creating luminous auroras in the skies. These lights were visible even in locations where auroras are rare, such as parts of the United States, Europe, and New Zealand¹.

However, an alternative theory suggests a more intriguing origin. On the same day, the HAARP facility in Alaska conducted experiments to artificially create aurora-like glows in the ionosphere. Using high-frequency radio waves, HAARP stimulated electrons to generate ‘airglow.’ The experiment, named ‘Making the Invisible Visible,’ aimed to determine whether HAARP’s radio transmissions could produce a phenomenon known as STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement). HAARP, controversially dedicated to studying the ionosphere, has sparked public interest due to its nature of work¹. So, while natural solar activity played a role, HAARP’s experiments may have contributed to the mesmerizing auroras seen on that day².

Learn more ¹dailytelegraph.co.nz ²danielbayley.co.uk ³thegatewaypundit.com ⁴edition.cnn.com

Microsoft’s Copilot does not add a note to the effect that its AI-generated answer could be wrong.