Latest news with #solarwind
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
15 states will see the northern lights tonight. Will Arizona be one of them?
Aurora chasers, get ready: The northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are expected to make a dazzling appearance between Tuesday night, June 24, and Wednesday night, June 25, with peak viewing hours typically between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. According to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, people in more than a dozen states will be able to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center expects the Kp index — an indicator of how visible the northern lights will be — to hit 5.67, strong enough to expand the auroral oval farther south than usual. Here is everything to know about the northern lights this week, including whether they will be visible in Arizona. The northern lights will actually be visible in 15 states tonight: Alaska. Washington. Idaho. Montana. Wyoming. North Dakota. South Dakota. Iowa. Minnesota. Wisconsin. Michigan. New York. Vermont. New Hampshire. Maine. The northern lights will not be seen in Arizona tonight; the state is too far south. While rare solar storms have very occasionally pushed the lights as far south as Colorado or northern Texas, Arizona skies generally miss out on the glow. The best time to view the northern lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time June 24-25. The northern lights are caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with Earth's atmosphere. When the sun releases a burst of energy, known as a solar wind or coronal mass ejection, these particles travel through space and interact with Earth's magnetic field, according to The northern lights are typically seen in the auroral zone, a ring-shaped region around the Earth's magnetic North Pole. Prime viewing spots include: Alaska. Northern Canada. Iceland. Norway. Sweden. Finland. Northern Russia. To check if the northern lights will be visible, look for aurora forecasts that monitor solar activity and geomagnetic storms, which are the two main factors behind the aurora borealis. Several websites and apps provide real-time updates and predictions, including: NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. University of Alaska Fairbanks Aurora Forecast. These tools typically show a Kp index, a scale from 0 to 9 that measures geomagnetic activity. A higher number means better chances of seeing the lights, especially at lower latitudes. If you're not in the auroral zone, you'll need a Kp of 7 or higher to have a chance. The northern lights can last a few minutes to several hours. There's no guaranteed timeframe, and they can appear at any time during the night. In the U.S., you'll want to look toward the northern horizon. The aurora usually starts low on the horizon and, during stronger storms, can stretch overhead, but your best bet is facing north. Got a story you want to share? Reach out at Follow @tiffsario on Instagram. Looking for the best things to do in Arizona? Sign up for our newsletter. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Northern lights forecast: Where and when to see them tonight
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Northern lights may be visible in these 10 US States tonight
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Unsettled geomagnetic activity triggered by high-speed solar winds could spark northern lights over parts of the U.S. tonight (June 26–27), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA SWPC). A colossal coronal hole on the sun has rotated to face Earth and is currently sending a stream of high-speed solar wind our way. As the solar wind slams into our planet's magnetic field, it disrupts geomagnetic conditions, which in turn can lead to geomagnetic storms and vivid auroras. Space weather forecasters from the U.K. Met Office and NOAA's SWPC predict there is a chance of minor (G1) geomagnetic storms tonight as geomagnetic activity remains mainly unsettled to active. That means there's a window of opportunity for aurora sightings at northern latitudes, weather and darkness permitting. Based on the latest NOAA forecast, we've listed 10 U.S. states that appear either fully or partially above the aurora view line — ordered from most likely to least likely to catch the lights, based on how much of each state lies within the auroral oval. Alaska Montana North Dakota Minnesota South Dakota Michigan (Upper Peninsula) Wisconsin Maine Idaho Washington Remember, auroras can be fickle. Sometimes they can appear much farther south than predicted, and other times they barely show up at all. There are many conditions that have to align for the perfect show. It is possible that many more states could witness auroras tonight, or perhaps far fewer will. Aurora alerts Keep up with the latest forecasts and geomagnetic storm warnings with our aurora forecast live blog. If you're in one of the states listed above, your best bet is to head to a north-facing location, far away from city lights. With summer daylight hanging on late, around 1 a.m. local time is typically your best shot. Try using your smartphone camera to scan the sky — it often picks up faint auroras your eyes might miss. Once your camera catches a hint of green or purple, focus your attention there. That said, don't forget to glance around — auroras can pop up in front, behind, or right overhead. If you want to make sure you're all clued up on when to look for auroras, download a space weather app that provides forecasts based on your location. One option I use is "My Aurora Forecast & Alerts," available for both iOS and Android. However, any similar app should work well. I also use the "Space Weather Live" app, which is available on iOS and Android, to get a deeper understanding of whether the current space weather conditions are favorable for aurora sightings.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
India wants power distribution companies to act faster on clean energy deals
June 26 (Reuters) - India's power ministry has proposed a new rule that would require electricity distribution companies to take quicker action after signing deals to buy power from clean energy projects. Under the draft rule dated June 25, distribution companies must ask for official approval from the appropriate regulatory commission within 30 days of signing the deal with an intermediary, such as a renewable energy implementing agency. This is a significant step as the industry has flagged delays from power distribution companies, which has slowed down the start of solar, wind, and other renewable energy projects. India is working towards its target of installing 500 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030, nearly triple its current capacity. The sector is grappling with several obstacles, including weak demand for tenders, land acquisition challenges, delays in power purchase agreements and project cancellations. If the approval from a regulatory commission takes too long — more than 60 days after applying or 120 days after signing the deal — the company building the project will get extra time to complete the project without being penalized, the power ministry said in its proposal. The ministry has asked for feedback on the proposal from stakeholders by July 9.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Northern lights may be visible in these 14 US States tonight (June 25)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Good news aurora chasers! We might be in for a treat tonight (June 25), as a stream of solar wind from a coronal hole on the sun is forecast to spark G1 to G2 (Minor to Moderate) geomagnetic storms, potentially triggering aurora visible across 14 U.S. States. According to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), the Kp index — a measure of geomagnetic activity — is forecast to peak at 5.67, qualifying as a moderate G2 storm. (Kp is a measurement of geomagnetic activity, with an index that ranges from 0 to 9; higher Kp indicates stronger auroral activity.) These conditions could push the auroral oval far enough south to be glimpsed on the northern horizon in states like New York, Oregon, and South Dakota, especially from dark-sky locations with minimal light pollution. You can keep up with the latest forecasts and geomagnetic storm warnings with our aurora forecast live blog. The UK Met Office adds that while solar activity remains relatively low, "a fast wind is expected to arrive" late June 25, significantly increasing the chance of auroras at high latitudes. However, being near the June solstice means short nights and lingering twilight may hamper viewing in some areas. In the U.S., Alaska has the highest chance of seeing the northern lights tonight. If predicted G2 storms are reached, auroras could be visible down to New York and Idaho and perhaps even further, according to NOAA. Below we have listed 14 states that appear either fully or in part above the possible view line for auroras tonight, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. They are ordered most likely to least likely based on their proximity to the center of the auroral oval and how much of each state is within or near the view line. Alaska Minnesota North Dakota Montana Maine Michigan Wisconsin Vermont New Hampshire Washington Oregon Idaho New York South Dakota Remember, auroras can be fickle. Sometimes they can appear much farther south than predicted, and other times they barely show up at all. There are many conditions that have to align for the perfect show. It is possible that many more states could witness auroras tonight, or perhaps far fewer will. Good luck aurora chasers! If you live in one of the 14 states forecasted to have a chance of seeing the northern lights tonight, head to a north-facing vantage point as far away from light pollution as possible! The best time to look for auroras will be about 1 a.m. local time, as our window of darkness for observing the northern lights shrinks during summer months.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Jaw-Dropping Explosions on The Sun Captured in First NASA PUNCH Images
A NASA mission to observe the activity of the solar wind has returned its first images of giant coronal mass ejections (CMEs) billowing out from the Sun. Images from the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) were presented at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, showing these giant events on an unprecedented scale. "I promise you you have never seen anything quite like this," heliophysicist and PUNCH principal investigator Craig DeForest of the Southwest Research Institute said in his presentation. CMEs are huge expulsions of billions of tons of solar plasma and magnetic fields that are blasted out from the Sun, a massive release of energy and solar particles that occurs when the Sun's magnetic field lines tangle, snap, and reconnect. They often, but don't always, occur with solar flares. A halo CME is what we call it when the CME blasts right in the direction of Earth. From our perspective, the expanding ejecta looks to surround the Sun like a halo, before barreling through the Solar System at tremendous speed. "That halo CME is something you have never seen before. I'd like to call your attention to the white circle near the center of the field of view here. That circle represents the LASCO field of view; that is the largest coronagraph currently used to forecast space weather. "You've seen halo CME movies before, if you've paid attention to the science press. But you have never seen one 30 to 40 degrees from the Sun … you're seeing something that is literally washing across the entire sky of the inner Solar System as it comes toward the Earth." In this case, they were able to track a CME as it blasted through the Solar System at 4 million miles an hour until about two hours before it collided with Earth's magnetic field. These events often produce the aurora that light up Earth's polar skies, but can also interrupt communications and damage satellites, so scientists are keen to develop better space weather tracking and prediction tools. PUNCH is just beginning its planned two-year mission to record solar events in 3D, in an attempt to better understand space weather. The four probes aren't quite yet in their final positions, but the team here on Earth is testing the instruments and taking observations. "These are preliminary data. They look good now, but they are going to look fabulous once we are done with calibration later this summer," DeForest said. "This is the first of many, I'm sure, and the best is still to come." SpaceX Starship Explodes in Towering Fireball Astronomers Uncover a Massive Shaft of Missing Matter Our Galaxy's Monster Black Hole Is Spinning Almost as Fast as Physics Allows
