Matthew Lewis Rowland/Getty Images/File
The Northern Lights are seen over the Columbia River Gorge from Chanticleer Point Overlook in Latourell, Oregon, in the early morning hours of May 11, 2024.
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The aurora borealis may grace southern skies more than usual this week due to a solar storm that could affect Earth, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
The center has issued a strong geomagnetic storm watch, known as Grade 3, the third highest of five, from July 29 to July 31. Activity is likely to peak on Tuesday, when solar flares that cause the aurora and coronal mass ejections from the sun reach Earth, according to NOAA.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, strong geomagnetic storms are rare, but are more common than the G5 (extreme geomagnetic storm) that occurred on May 10 and 11. This event produced the aurora borealis, which dazzled many parts of the world where the colorful, dancing ribbons of light aren’t usually seen.
If the predicted G3 conditions occur, the aurora could be visible as far south as Illinois and Oregon, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center.
Coronal mass ejections are giant clouds of ionized gases called plasma and magnetic fields that erupt from the Sun’s outer atmosphere. When these explosions are aimed at Earth, Like this weekend, They can cause geomagnetic storms, major disturbances of the Earth’s magnetic field.
As the sun approaches a solar maximum, the peak of its 11-year cycle of activity expected this year, it has become more active, and researchers have observed increasingly violent solar flares erupting from fireballs.
The UK Met Office said on Monday that Scotland could see the Northern Lights over the next three nights, with the possibility of a Grade 3 storm. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the arrival of the coronal mass ejection on July 30 could “increase geomagnetic activity, resulting in local overnight aurora visibility.”
Seeing the aurora is a matter of luck, but the Space Weather Prediction Center says you’ll most likely see the quirky phenomenon within an hour or two of midnight.
To find the best viewing spot, find a spot with dark skies away from artificial lights and look north (or south if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere). While invisible to the naked eye, the Northern Lights can be captured on camera. For the best photos, use a tripod and share your observations on the Community Science Site and with our NASA partner, Aurorasaurus.
02:53 – Source: CNN Business
Everything you need to know about the solar cycle
Increased solar activity causes the formation of auroras around the Earth’s poles. These are known as the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis and the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis.
When high-energy particles from a coronal mass ejection reach Earth’s magnetic field, they interact with gases in the atmosphere, creating different colored lights in the sky.
According to NASA, the solar storm that hit Earth in early May was the strongest in 20 years, creating a barrage of solar activity that produced the most powerful aurora borealis event recorded in the past 500 years, with lights spotted across the southern United States and northern India.
Sunspots, which cause solar flares and coronal mass ejections that produce the auroras, are driven by the star’s powerful and constantly changing magnetic field.
Warnings issued by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center and other agencies help operators of power grids and commercial satellites mitigate the potential negative impacts of solar storms.
While May’s supergeomagnetic storm had minimal impact on critical infrastructure, a G5 storm in 2003 caused power outages in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.
