Latest news with #geomagnetic
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Northern Lights 2025: New opportunity to view dazzling light display in Delaware Valley
The Brief Heads up: it's looking like we'll see the Northern Lights across the Philadelphia area Sunday night. A strong solar storm occurred Friday, presenting the Northeast with another opportunity to see the Northern Lights Sunday night. PHILADELPHIA - Several times in 2024, the Northern Lights were visible in the region, which is an unusual and rare occurrence for the area. Another opportunity to view the beautiful spectacle is presenting itself Sunday night, scientists say. What we know Remember when everyone was seeing the Northern Lights across southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey one night last October? We got to see the Northern Lights so much farther south than usual because of what forecasters called a "G4 (Severe) Geomagnetic Storm." That strong of a solar storm is pretty rare, and forecasters are calling for another Sunday night. The backstory The sun constantly sends charged energy into space. While Earth's magnetic field blocks out most of it, some of it sneaks in around the North and South Pole, leading to the northern and southern lights in those places. Occasionally, a much bigger blast of charged energy leaves the sun, and that's exactly what happened on Friday. You can see an example of that on X, here. "Confidence in an Earth-arrival component to this [energy] is good" says the branch of the National Weather Service that focuses on space weather. "However, timing and intensity are more uncertain," they note. Timeline Right now, they anticipate 9 to 11 p.m. as the best time for you to see the Northern Lights with your own eyes Sunday night in the Philadelphia area. If you head outside, but don't see anything, try taking a picture with your cell phone on the night sight setting where it takes five to 10 seconds to capture a picture. Phones can capture the Northern Lights when our eyes cannot. However, Sunday night's anticipated Northern Lights should be strong enough to see when you look up. What you can do If you see them, share your picture with Kathy Orr and FOX29. You might see one on air during our weather forecasts.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Severe geomagnetic storm could spark auroras, disrupt communications next week
(FOX 5/KUSI) — A powerful solar storm is on the way, and it could disrupt communications, GPS systems and even produce rare auroras across parts of the United States early next week, according to weather experts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a G4 (Severe) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Monday, June 2, after a coronal mass ejection (CME)—an enormous burst of solar plasma—erupted from the Sun on Friday, May 30. The CME is expected to reach Earth by Sunday evening (June 1) and could spark strong geomagnetic activity almost immediately. Initial storm levels may reach G3 (Strong), with conditions potentially intensifying to G4 by Monday. Although the forecast indicates strong potential for disruption, officials note that the exact timing and intensity of the storm are still uncertain. Much of the impact will depend on the CME's magnetic orientation—data that will only be known once it reaches solar wind observatories located about 1 million miles from Earth. 'Upon arrival at those spacecraft, we will know the magnetic strength and orientation that are very important to what levels and duration of geomagnetic storm conditions are expected to occur,' NOAA officials noted in the weather warning. While most aurora activity is typically seen closer to the poles, strong geomagnetic storms can push auroras farther south. Depending on how intense the storm becomes, parts of the northern U.S. may be treated to rare views of the Northern Lights. A G4-level storm could lead to GPS errors, radio signal disruptions, and even voltage irregularities in power grids, though these impacts are less likely at lower latitudes. High-frequency radio communications, used in some trans-oceanic flights, and navigation systems may be affected. Airlines and space agencies are monitoring the situation closely. The storm is expected to taper off by Tuesday, June 3, with lingering G1-G2 (Minor to Moderate) conditions possible. For the latest updates, NOAA recommends visiting its Space Weather Prediction Center. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Sun
Massive solar storm could wipe out internet, phones & power grids TOMORROW as rare ‘severe' warning issued
A RARE "severe" warning has been issued for a massive solar storm due to arrive at Earth tomorrow. The storm risks causing major disruption to internet, phone signals and power grids. 3 The warning has been put in effect by the Space Weather Prediction Centre. It comes after a coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the Sun yesterday evening. The authority says it will likely lead to "immediate geomagnetic disturbances". A statement says: "Confidence in an Earth-arrival component to this CME is good. "However, timing and intensity are more uncertain. These watches represent potential based on our best analyses. "We will not know the true nature of this CME's geomagnetic storm potential until the CME arrives at our solar wind observatories located 1 million miles from Earth." The Space Weather Prediction Centre adds that impacts to technological infrastructure are "possible" but could be mitigated. Its impact might also mean the aurora could be visible in the northern half of the United States. This could be visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California.
Gizmodo
19-05-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Strange, Dazzling White Streak Photobombs Rare Auroras Over the U.S.
A surprise solar storm also came with a baffling phenomenon that left people in the inland U.S. scratching their heads. On the night of Saturday, May 17, skywatchers in parts of the U.S. were treated to a dazzling display of auroras from a surprise geomagnetic storm. But then observers spotted something very weird. A mysterious white streak cut clean across the night sky, leaving many wondering: what the heck was that? On Sunday evening, the skies over Colorado and states farther south lit up with bands of green, blue, and red auroras. The storm was a result of solar flares and a coronal mass ejection (CME)—a massive bubble of coronal plasma and magnetic field ejected from the Sun—that occurred about four days earlier. The CME was initially expected to miss Earth, but a portion of it dealt a glancing blow to our planet's magnetic field, triggering a geomagnetic storm. But the real weirdness started at around 11:30 p.m. MT on May 17, when a bright white streak lit up the sky. Naturally, people took to social media for answers. Many observers initially thought it might be a strange form of STEVE, a unique band of purple and green light that often appears near auroras. STEVE is also caused by space weather events. Photographer Mike Lewinski captured long-exposure shots of the whole thing unfolding over the skies of Crestone, Colorado. 'The aurora was rippling low on the northern horizon when suddenly a bright streak of light, reminiscent of a rocket re-entry, appeared high in the sky and flowed down to the horizon,' Lewinski told The strange event was not STEVE after all, but a recent rocket launch. reported that roughly an hour before the mysterious white streak appeared across the southwestern U.S., the Chinese company Landscape launched its Zhuque-2E methane-fueled rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China. The rocket was shuttling six satellites into orbit, and the white streak may have occurred as the rocket prepared for reentry. On X, astronomer Jonathan McDowell wrote that the odd event was likely the result of the rocket's upper stage passing over the U.S. He elaborated that the white streak may have been caused by a fuel dump at an altitude of 155 miles (250 kilometers) as the rocket passed over the Four Corners region. It's not the first time rocket launches have left skywatchers puzzled. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets have created dizzying spiral patterns across the night sky. So we're likely in for more mysterious sky phenomena.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Earth could be hit by 600,000 mile-wide 'bird wing' solar eruption TOMORROW, astronomers warn
On Tuesday, astronomers watched as a vast 'bird wing' eruption sent waves of superheated plasma surging across the sun's northern hemisphere. At over 600,000 miles long (one million km), the filament of solar material was more than twice as long as the distance from the Earth to the moon. Now, scientists predict that part of this filament eruption could hit Earth tomorrow. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, aurora chaser Jure Atanackov predicted that the full force of this eruption could trigger a severe or even extreme geomagnetic storm, the highest level on official rating systems. Stunning video recorded by NASA 's solar observation satellites shows the moment that filaments of plasma 75 times larger than Earth peeled away from the sun in a pair of sweeping 'wings'. Most of the material was shot out of the sun's north pole, so it will mostly avoid Earth. However, astronomers say that Earth will probably receive a glancing blow from the wake of the passing storm. That means there is an increased chance of being able to spot the Northern Lights and a risk of disruption to electrical equipment. Solar filaments are dense ribbons of cooler solar plasma which are suspended above the sun's surface by powerful magnetic fields. When these magnetic fields become unstable, they can release the filaments in a violent eruption. Jake Foster, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: 'Loops of hot plasma can sprout up from the Sun's surface, following along its magnetic field lines, and occasionally they break free and shoot off into space at high speeds.' Sometimes this triggers an event called a coronal mass ejection, a wave of plasma and magnetic fields which is launched into space. It is the arrival of these coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which trigger geomagnetic storms and enhanced auroral activity on Earth. As astronomers observed, this is exactly what happened on Tuesday as two huge filaments became unstable and collapsed, triggering a huge CME. As the filament eruption tore away from the sun's surface, eagerly-watching aurora chasers were amazed by the sheer scale of the blast. Mr Atanackov wrote in a post on X that the blast 'dwarfs all the filament eruptions we have seen recently.' Likewise, Northern Lights photographer Vincent Ledvina said: 'Not sure what to call this eruption, maybe the "bird-wing" or "angel-wing" event? Either way, it is truly something to witness! Look at how large the blast is off the Sun's northern hemisphere.' In her solar forecast, space weather physicist Dr Tamitha Skov reported a 'massive dual filament launch that could give Earth a glancing blow.' When a filament eruption escapes the solar surface, it leaves behind a cool 'scar' on the sun, which shows up as a dark region in solar imaging cameras. While it initially appeared that most of the blast had been directed northward, away from Earth, the remains scars suggested that some of the eruption could be coming our way. Dr Skov said: 'You'd think this was just going northward. But, believe it or not, the scar from this thing as it lifted off the sun makes us think that maybe there's part of this that's Earth-directed.' It is considered likely that part of the CME or its wake will hit Earth tomorrow, causing a minor geomagnetic storm and lingering effects for a few days. Mr Foster says: 'These eruptions are huge collections of high energy solar particles, so when they hit the Earth's atmosphere they can cause a few different effects. 'With enough energy, they have the potential to cause a geomagnetic storm, temporarily blocking out radio communications and satellite navigation in certain areas. 'On the more serious end of the scale, they can cause an overload to electrical infrastructure, damaging the power grid and railway lines, and potentially even sparking electrical fires.' Additionally, as charged particles from the sun arrive, they are channelled towards the poles by the planet's powerful magnetic fields. These particles then collide with nitrogen and oxygen in the air, transferring their energy into the gases and causing them to glow, in an effect we see as the aurora. Since the Earth's magnetic fields protect us extremely well from these charged particles, auroras are only normally visible close to the magnetic poles. Although Dr Skov predicts a 20 per cent chance of a major storm occurring, the chances of significant geomagnetic activity are low. Stephen Dixon, Met Office spokesperson, told MailOnline: 'A coronal mass ejection could possibly glance the Earth later this evening and could lead to aurora being visible in northern Scotland, though there is low confidence in this. 'Should it occur, skies are relatively clear, but viewers might need to take a photo with a long exposure.' SOLAR STORMS PRESENT A CLEAR DANGER TO ASTRONAUTS AND CAN DAMAGE SATELLITES Solar storms, or solar activity, can be divided into four main components that can have impacts on Earth: Solar flares: A large explosion in the sun's atmosphere. These flares are made of photons that travel out directly from the flare site. Solar flares impact Earth only when they occur on the side of the sun facing Earth. Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's): Large clouds of plasma and magnetic field that erupt from the sun. These clouds can erupt in any direction, and then continue on in that direction, plowing through solar wind. These clouds only cause impacts to Earth when they're aimed at Earth. High-speed solar wind streams: These come from coronal holes on the sun, which form anywhere on the sun and usually only when they are closer to the solar equator do the winds impact Earth. Solar energetic particles: High-energy charged particles thought to be released primarily by shocks formed at the front of coronal mass ejections and solar flares. When a CME cloud plows through solar wind, solar energetic particles can be produced and because they are charged, they follow the magnetic field lines between the Sun and Earth. Only charged particles that follow magnetic field lines that intersect Earth will have an impact. While these may seem dangerous, astronauts are not in immediate danger of these phenomena because of the relatively low orbit of manned missions. However, they do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks. The damage caused by solar storms Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost. The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing Earth's magnetic field. Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies. When Coronal Mass Ejections strike Earth they cause geomagnetic storms and enhanced aurora. They can disrupt radio waves, GPS coordinates and overload electrical systems. A large influx of energy could flow into high voltage power grids and permanently damage transformers. This could shut off businesses and homes around the world.
