Latest news with #GeomagneticStormWatch
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
A solar storm could hit Earth. Here's how it could affect you
A powerful geomagnetic storm aimed at Earth could disrupt technology and bring a stunning celestial show as far south as Kentucky between Tuesday and Wednesday. In response to the storm, which is set to take place overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a G3 Geomagnetic Storm Watch. The storms are ranked on a scale of five, with G5 being the most extreme. 'Limited, minor effects to some technological infrastructure is possible, but usually mitigable. The aurora may also be visible over many northern states and parts of the Midwest to Oregon,' it said. An aurora is created when particles from the sun collide with the Earth's atmosphere and release energy in the form of light. This time the aurora — also known as the aurora borealis or the northern lights — may be seen as far south as Kentucky. While cities like Kentucky's Frankfort and Chicago will have clear skies, clouds will cover more of the Northeast and Pennsylvania, according to Fox Weather. And, the most vivid aurora will occur over the Rockies and western skies just before sunrise, FOX Forecast Center Meteorologist Christopher Tate said. But, an aurora may not be the only outcome. With a G3 geomagnetic storm, there can be intermittent satellite and low-frequency radio navigation problems. False alarms could be triggered on some some protection devices There are also potential effects in space. 'Surface charging may occur on satellite components, drag may increase on low-Earth-orbit satellites, and corrections may be needed for orientation problems,' NOAA notes. The storm comes following multiple coronal mass ejections, or large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the outermost part of the sun's atmosphere. 'A shock associated with a coronal mass ejection or both coronal mass ejections combined arrived!' the Space Weather Prediction Center said. 'The strength and orientation of the magnetic energy of the coronal mass ejection will dictate how far the aurora might develop tonight...'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
A solar storm could hit Earth tomorrow. Here's how it could affect you
A powerful geomagnetic storm aimed at Earth could disrupt technology and bring a stunning celestial show as far south as Kentucky between Tuesday and Wednesday. In response to the storm, which is set to take place overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a G3 Geomagnetic Storm Watch. The storms are ranked on a scale of five, with G5 being the most extreme. 'Limited, minor effects to some technological infrastructure is possible, but usually mitigable. The aurora may also be visible over many northern states and parts of the Midwest to Oregon,' it said. An aurora is created when particles from the sun collide with the Earth's atmosphere and release energy in the form of light. This time the aurora — also known as the aurora borealis or the northern lights — may be seen as far south as Kentucky. While cities like Kentucky's Frankfort and Chicago will have clear skies, clouds will cover more of the Northeast and Pennsylvania, according to Fox Weather. And, the most vivid aurora will occur over the Rockies and western skies just before sunrise, FOX Forecast Center Meteorologist Christopher Tate said. But, an aurora may not be the only outcome. With a G3 geomagnetic storm, there can be intermittent satellite and low-frequency radio navigation problems. False alarms could be triggered on some some protection devices There are also potential effects in space. 'Surface charging may occur on satellite components, drag may increase on low-Earth-orbit satellites, and corrections may be needed for orientation problems,' NOAA notes. The storm comes following multiple coronal mass ejections, or large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the outermost part of the sun's atmosphere. The most powerful solar flares left the sun on Sunday, and minor geomagnetic storming conditions are likely to last into Thursday, 'A shock associated with a coronal mass ejection or both coronal mass ejections combined arrived!' the Space Weather Prediction Center said. 'The strength and orientation of the magnetic energy of the coronal mass ejection will dictate how far the aurora might develop tonight...'
The Independent
15-04-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
A solar storm could hit Earth tomorrow. Here's how it could affect you
A powerful geomagnetic storm aimed at Earth could disrupt technology and bring a stunning celestial show as far south as Kentucky between Tuesday and Wednesday. In response to the storm, which is set to take place overnight on Tuesday and into Wednesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a G3 Geomagnetic Storm Watch. The storms are ranked on a scale of five, with G5 being the most extreme. 'Limited, minor effects to some technological infrastructure is possible, but usually mitigable. The aurora may also be visible over many northern states and parts of the Midwest to Oregon,' it said. An aurora is created when particles from the sun collide with the Earth's atmosphere and release energy in the form of light. This time the aurora — also known as the aurora borealis or the northern lights — may be seen as far south as Kentucky. While cities like Kentucky's Frankfort and Chicago will have clear skies, clouds will cover more of the Northeast and Pennsylvania, according to Fox Weather. And, the most vivid aurora will occur over the Rockies and western skies just before sunrise, FOX Forecast Center Meteorologist Christopher Tate said. But, an aurora may not be the only outcome. With a G3 geomagnetic storm, there can be intermittent satellite and low-frequency radio navigation problems. False alarms could be triggered on some some protection devices There are also potential effects in space. 'Surface charging may occur on satellite components, drag may increase on low-Earth-orbit satellites, and corrections may be needed for orientation problems,' NOAA notes. The storm comes following multiple coronal mass ejections, or large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the outermost part of the sun's atmosphere. 'A shock associated with a coronal mass ejection or both coronal mass ejections combined arrived!' the Space Weather Prediction Center said. 'The strength and orientation of the magnetic energy of the coronal mass ejection will dictate how far the aurora might develop tonight...'
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Why Northern Lights displays are stronger around spring, autumn equinoxes
Aurora-chasing season has arrived with the spring equinox, a time when space weather experts say we are more likely to see vivid displays of the dancing technicolor lights known as the aurora borealis or Northern Lights. According to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), the best times of year to see auroras are around the spring and fall equinoxes. Earth's astronomical seasons are based on the Earth's position with respect to the Sun, as our planet orbits our star. At the spring equinox in March and autumn equinox in September, the equator is aligned with the Sun. "Due to subtleties in the way the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere, there is a tendency towards larger geomagnetic storms, and thus better auroras, to occur near the equinoxes," according to the SWPC. This increased Northern Lights activity around the equinoxes is known as the "Russell-McPherron effect," according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Geophysical Institute. UAF experts say the chances of seeing aurora in interior Alaska in March and September are roughly twice as high as they are during the summer and winter solstice. Even though there is a strong tendency to see more intense aurora around these times, this phenomenon is not fully understood. Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at NOAA's SWPC, said the reaction also depends on the type of space weather feature causing a geomagnetic storm. Coronal hole high-speed streams (CH HSS) or coronal mass ejections (CME) are solar events that can produce solar storms and Northern Lights on Earth. The SWPC issues space weather forecasts when these events appear to be headed toward Earth, and the spring equinox plays a role in those forecasts. "We see this routinely and we add it to our forecast thinking in the (SWPC) office," Dahl said. "And the overarching thing for the spring equinox is that you need the feature to be of negative polarity for that more pronounced effect to happen." Meanwhile, Dahl said a positive polarity is needed during the fall equinox. "The thinking of this is all the way connected to the southern pole, which is now positive. Polarity just enhances it," Dahl said. This week, the SWPC issued a G2 (Moderate) Geomagnetic Storm Watch on its five-point scale for a CH HSS headed toward Earth, but it was a positive polarity feature. Dahl said the forecast might have been upgraded if it had been negative polarity. The large coronal hole contains less dense, cooler plasma traveling at high speeds, streaming along the Sun's magnetic field lines toward Earth. When these charged particles interact with oxygen and nitrogen in Earth's atmosphere, they briefly energize the molecule, giving off light as they de-energize, producing colorful Northern article source: Why Northern Lights displays are stronger around spring, autumn equinoxes
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Geomagnetic storm could create dancing Northern Lights across several states overnight
NEW YORK – Night owls could see dashes of glowing color in the sky early Tuesday morning with a Geomagnetic Storm Watch in place, signaling the possible arrival of the Northern Lights. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Tuesday as influences from a coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS) are expected to arrive late Monday and into Tuesday morning. A coronal hole is an area on the surface of the Sun with cooler plasma that appears like a dark hole in satellite images. The less dense, cooler plasma travels at faster speeds into space, streaming along the Sun's magnetic field lines. When these charged particles interact with oxygen and nitrogen in Earth's atmosphere, they briefly energize the molecule, giving off light as they de-energize, producing the colorful lights known as aurora borealis or the Northern Lights. What Causes The Northern Lights? As the CH HSS influences first begin to reach Earth, there is a chance for G1 (minor) and G2 (moderate) storm conditions this week, based on NOAA's 5-point geomagnetic storm scale. Peak conditions are forecast for early Tuesday morning after midnight. If G2 levels are reached as a CH HSS impacts Earth, the Northern Lights could be visible from New York to Idaho. This latest round of space weather comes after the SWPC forecast a G3 (strong) solar storm over the weekend, which created Northern Lights displays across upstate New York and the northern Puget Sound region near Seattle. According to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, aurora lights were even visible in Pennsylvania on Friday night. A clear view of the sky is needed to observe these dazzling lights. The FOX Forecast Center said cloud cover could block the view for those in the interior Northeast and northern New England, including Maine, but those in the Upper Midwest have a slightly better forecast around midnight on Tuesday. The 10 Best Places In The World For Stargazing Influences from the coronal hole could continue into Wednesday, according to the SWPC forecast. CH HSS can also have reoccurring impacts on Earth because the Sun spins every 27 days. If Earth gets hit by a high-speed stream, there's a chance for more impacts 27 days article source: Geomagnetic storm could create dancing Northern Lights across several states overnight
