Latest news with #CoronalMassEjection
Daily Record
a day ago
- Climate
- Daily Record
How to catch Northern Lights in Scotland before sightings suffer 'sharp fall'
The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, are one of nature's most mesmerising displays and often occur in Scotland Scotland is known for its wide range of astronomical delights, and for a lot of the year, the Northern Lights is the highlight. The spectacular display of purples, pinks, and greens has been visible our side of the border for centuries. Scots from the Highlands to Helensburgh have been able to spot nature's lightshow over the years, but activity is now intensifying, it seems, with four red alerts already issued this week alone by AuroraWatch UK. These alerts were triggered when the geomagnetic activity exceeded 200nT. The alerts were issued between 9am and 11am, and then again from 4pm to 6pm on Monday, June 2, with updates provided every hour. AuroraWatch UK utilises geomagnetic activity measurements from the SAMNET and AuroraWatchNet magnetometers to automatically detect when it is likely that the aurora can be seen from the UK. The monitoring system uses a colour-coded alert system with four levels. According to the monitoring group, a Red Alert means "it is likely that aurora will be visible by eye and camera from anywhere in the UK." The thrilling development comes with a warning, though. Although lights have been dancing in the sky over the past 24 hours, Scots now only have a small window to view them before sightings "fall sharply" in the coming days. According to the Met Office, Earth is under the ongoing influence of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) that causes the Northern Lights, that arrived during the morning of Sunday, June 1. And while aurora sightings are still likely for the far north of the UK at first, "activity is expected to gradually reduce through the coming three day period," the weather agency states. Looking ahead to the next four days, it is possible that geomagnetic sub storms cause another burst of Aurora Borealis happenings particularly on Wednesday, June 4 - meaning we have just one more day to look up in hope. Wondering how the phenomenon occurs in the first place? The Northern Lights are the result of interactions between the solar wind, a stream of charged particles emitted by the Sun, and the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. These particles travel at speeds of around one million miles per hour. When the magnetic polarity of the solar wind is opposite to that of the Earth's magnetic field, the two fields can merge, allowing solar particles to funnel into the atmosphere near the magnetic poles. While the aurora is most commonly seen in high-latitude regions like Scandinavia or Canada, it can occasionally be observed in the UK, particularly in Scotland, Northern England, North Wales, and Northern Ireland. During periods of intense solar activity, sightings have been reported as far as southern England. Clear, dark skies are essential to view the Northern Lights, so rural locations away from light pollution offer the best chance of seeing the display. North-facing coastlines and elevated areas provide ideal vantage points. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
India Today
a day ago
- Science
- India Today
Dazzling auroras seen worldwide after solar blast from the Sun. Pictures inside
A series of dazzling auroras were observed in several parts of the world including the United States and Canada as a solar storm struck Earth's magnetic strongest eruption from the Sun in 2025 struck Earth with exponential power as Earth's atmosphere continues to reverberate from the impact, which has been termed a halo Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), has been significant even as the storm subsides. The storm has continued with few breaks for more than 60 hours. (Photo: X/@@BsauceSays) advertisement A halo CME is an eruption of solar plasma and magnetic field that appears to form a halo around the Sun when it is moving directly along the line of sight—either toward or away from Earth. If it's Earth-directed, it can have serious effects on technology and physicists confirmed that the storm had continued with few breaks for more than 60 hours, pointing to the power and effectiveness of the CME that might go down as the strongest event of the ongoing Solar Cycle source of this solar eruption is Sunspot 4100, which erupted in a dramatic fashion on May 31. Aurora Borealis seen over Washington State. (Photo: X/@PNWAurora) advertisementEarth-orbiting satellites detected an M8.2-class solar flare that lasted more than three hours, an unusually long and powerful event. While technically just shy of the X-class threshold, the flare's slow, sustained energy release provided ample force to launch a massive CME from the Sun's northern lights were also seen in San Diego and some residents in Tulsa, reported catching glimpses of the aurora. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere, pink and red auroras were spotted lighting up the skies over Queenstown in of High River 20250603T0600ZJust arrived as the aurora fired up Harlan Thomas (@theauroraguy) June 3, 2025Before the storm hit, experts had predicted that the auroras might be visible across a wide swath of the northern United States, including Alaska, Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, along with most of Wyoming, Idaho, Iowa and New also suggested potential sightings in parts of Oregon, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Watch
Wales Online
2 days ago
- Climate
- Wales Online
This might be the last chance to see Northern lights in UK for a while, but who can see them?
This might be the last chance to see Northern lights in UK for a while, but who can see them? The rare phenomenon is predicted to be visible in several parts of the country The northern lights as seen over fields in Undy, Monmouthshire (Image: John Myers ) People in certain parts of the country might be able to see northern lights or aurora borealis once again, but it doesn't look like it will last long. Earth is currently under the influence of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) that came to the planet yesterday, June 1, according to the Met Office. The forecaster has said though people might be able to see the northern lights at first in UK, the chances to do so fall sharply with time, and will depend on factors like the intensity of geomagnetic activity and the sky being dark. The Met Office's forecast for yesterday predicted that people as far as Wales would be able to see the aurora borealis. The beautiful natural phenomenon has made a few appearances in Wales (Image: John Myers ) An X post by the forecaster June 1 read: 'There's a chance of seeing the #aurora tonight, possibly as far south as the Midland and Wales. 'Most likely though, the #northernlights will be visible for Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, where clear skies allow.' Article continues below Content cannot be displayed without consent However, as mentioned above, the chances to see the Northern lights falls sharply with time. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here So will you be able to see the famed lights from your backyard tonight? If you live in Wales, that is unlikely due to the 'wet and windy' forecast for the night. The full forecast for Monday evening and night reads: 'A fine evening, with plenty of sunshine ahead of dusk. 'Turning wet and windy overnight as a band of rain arrives from the west. 'The rain will prove heavy for a time before clearing northern and western Wales by dawn. Minimum temperature 8 °C.' However, those living in Scotland, northern England, and Northern Ireland, might just be fortunate enough to experience the light due to 'residual geomagnetic storms' The Met Office has told WalesOnline: 'Some residual geomagnetic storms likely on Monday UTC evening, with aurora sightings generally confined to Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland.' Article continues below
India Today
2 days ago
- Science
- India Today
Solar storm calming after hammering Earth's magnetic field overnight
The mega solar storm that struck Earth is subsiding and the radiation is calming down after battering the planet's magnetic field halo Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) struck Earth on the intervening nights of June 1 and June 2, 2025 sparking a severe (G4) geomagnetic storm.A halo CME is an eruption of solar plasma and magnetic field that appears to form a halo around the Sun when it is moving directly along the line of sight—either toward or away from Earth. If it's Earth-directed, it can have serious effects on technology and Experts have already dubbed it one of the biggest space weather events of Solar Cycle 25."There are indications that the coronal mass ejection (CME) passage is weakening, but the solar wind conditions remain elevated, therefore additional periods of G3-G4 (Strong-Severe) levels remain possible. However, we now anticipate that conditions should weaken enough by tomorrow evening, June 2nd (EDT), that G1 (Minor) storm levels are the most likely peak response," the Space Weather Prediction Center under National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) source of this solar eruption is Sunspot 4100, which erupted in dramatic fashion on May satellites detected an M8.2-class solar flare that lasted more than three hours, an unusually long and powerful event. While technically just shy of the X-class threshold, the flare's slow, sustained energy release provided ample force to launch a massive CME from the Sun's geomagnetic storm has triggered auroras in several parts of the world."Auroras occur when charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth's magnetic field. These particles are usually directed toward the north and south poles, but during more intense solar events—like the one expected soon—the auroras can extend much farther from the poles, becoming visible in regions closer to the equator."Experts are also hopeful that the auroras could be visible in parts of Ladakh, Watch
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
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 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.
