Latest news with #GeomagneticStormWatch
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Geomagnetic Storm Watch issued with Northern Lights possible from New York to Washington state
NEW YORK – While the ground may feel like it's on fire as a heat dome continues to scorch the U.S. this week, the sky could resemble dancing flames Wednesday night and early Thursday as charged particles from the Sun are barreling toward our planet, creating the chance to see the Northern Lights. Forecasters with NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) have been monitoring a feature on the Sun known as a coronal hole – areas on the surface of the Sun with cooler, less dense plasma. These dark areas on the Sun, as seen in satellite images, can produce space weather events known as coronal hole high-speed streams (CH HSS), which can trigger Northern Lights on Earth. Due to the recurrent, negative polarity CH HSS influence, NOAA space weather forecasts are predicting minor (G1) to moderate (G2) geomagnetic storming between Wednesday and Thursday, based on NOAA's five-level scale. A Geomagnetic Storm Watch is in place through Thursday. What Causes The Northern Lights? Under these conditions, the Aurora Borealis may be seen across the northern tier of the U.S. and the Upper Midwest, in areas as far south as New York to Wisconsin to Washington state. If you're within the Northern Lights viewing area on late Wednesday or early Thursday, a dark sky will help your chances of seeing the bright dancing lights in the sky. Move away from city lights or turn off artificial light sources outside and look north. Even if you can't see the lights with the naked eye, use your smartphone's night mode, and you might be surprised by what you see. During severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storms, the lights could be seen as far south as the Gulf article source: Geomagnetic Storm Watch issued with Northern Lights possible from New York to Washington state
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
