Has a geomagnetic storm hit Earth? Massive solar flare reported; aurora likely
Earth was struck by a powerful Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), with the speed of upwards of 1000 km/sec late on Saturday amid fears of a rare geomagnetic storm. Space Weather Live cited the CMS speed to report that the wave has been measured by the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) spacecraft located at the Sun-Earth L1 point.
'With the current speed, it will take the solar wind 25 minutes to propagate from DSCOVR to Earth,' Space Weather Live added.
The CME, a massive eruption of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun's corona, reached Earth at around 1:30 AM ET on June 1, as predicted by NASA and NOAA models.
Read More: Geomagnetic storm today: List of states where northern lights will be seen. Latest aurora map here
SpaceWeatherLive.com reported solar wind speeds peaking at 1002 km/sec, with the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength (Bt) reaching 25 nT and a southward Bz component of -18 nT. These conditions allow solar wind energy to penetrate Earth's magnetosphere and trigger auroras.
Auroral activity is expected to be spectacular, with vibrant green, red, and purple displays caused by charged particles colliding with atmospheric gases.
Space Weather Live further notes that G4 storms expand the auroral oval to 45–50° geomagnetic latitude, making the northern lights visible in states like Washington, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and parts of New York.
A potential G5 escalation could extend visibility to southern states like Alabama, Oregon, and Northern California.
Meanwhile, the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) noted that the storm has sparked aurora alerts for as far south as Alabama and Northern California, while raising concerns about potential disruptions to power grids, satellites, and radio communications.
The NOAA further warns of potential disruptions to power grids, with voltage irregularities possible in high-latitude regions. Satellites may experience drag and orientation issues, while GPS and radio signals could face intermittent outages.
The CME's origin, an M8.2 flare from AR14100, was identified by Space Weather Live as a full-halo event, indicating an Earth-directed trajectory. The flare, peaking at 0005 UTC on May 31, also raised concerns about R1-R2 radio blackouts.
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