Severe geomagnetic storm could shift Northern lights south

Yahoo

3 days ago

A coronal mass ejection, or CME, was observed on Friday, May 30th. This sudden eruption of solar material and magnetic fields has prompted a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Monday, June 2. A severe geomagnetic storm is a 4 out of 5 strength level storm.
It's important to note that this is just a watch based on the potential strength of the storm when it reaches Earth. This means it could indeed be a G4-level geomagnetic storm, but it could also be weaker. An observation of the storm coming towards Earth will take place once the storm reaches a solar wind observatory spacecraft 1 million miles away from Earth. Sounds like science fiction, but this technology exists.
A storm of this magnitude may shift the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) much farther south than usual. In fact, if the forecasted strength of the storm becomes reality, then parts of Alabama and California could see the aurora! This would mean they would also be visible in the Ozarks Sunday night and Monday night.
The aurora rarely shifts this far south, but it does happen on occasion. The last time we saw the Northern lights in the Ozarks was just last year on May 10, 2024, when another G4-level storm watch was issued. Before that? The previous G4-level storm watch was back in January 2005.
The current forecast from the Space Weather Prediction Center calls for a Kp index of 7.67. The Kp index is an abbreviated form of the German word 'planetarische kennziffer', which translates to 'planetary index' in English. It has a scale from 0 (none) to 9 (most intense) to measure the strength of a geomagnetic storm. A Kp index of 5 or greater indicates a strong geomagnetic storm and can sometimes shift the Northern Lights farther south into the mid-latitudes.
It doesn't always pan out in our favor to see the Northern lights in the Ozarks, despite the predicted storm strength. However, it's still fascinating to think that we may be able to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis Sunday night and Monday night.
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