Dawn came on tiptoe this morning, after a surprise coating of snow across the Midcoast during the night. But the action, meanwhile, was taking place in the solar system with geomagnetic storms raging overhead.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center has been active as personnel there monitor the major disturbances in the earth's magnetic field caused by coronal mass ejections (CME) from the sun.

For those in the Western United States, the colors were bright red last night. Here in Maine, the overnight skies were bright with bands of shimmering pinks and greens and white streaking aloft.

"We believe the final and most energetic CME has yet to arrive and may still be on track for a midday (EST) or so arrival," said the Space Weather Center.