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    • A ‘severe’ solar storm could cause auroras in the US
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    A ‘severe’ solar storm could cause auroras in the US

    Vaseline Posted on

    In the United States, many Americans should have the opportunity Thursday to witness auroras dancing across the night sky amid an approaching solar storm.

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    Another powerful solar burst is barreling through the cosmos toward Earth, bringing with it the potential to create striking auroras in the night sky around the planet.

    In the United States, plenty of Americans should get the chance to witness the dazzling display of green and red hues known as the aurora borealis on Thursday evening, thanks to the “severe” geomagnetic storm forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A coronal mass ejection of plasma clouds and charged particles driving the storm prompted NOAA’s Space Prediction Center to issue a rare G4 geomagnetic storm watch for the second time this year.

    Despite the threat the solar storm poses to satellites, GPS signals and power grids, the storm watch is good news for aurora hunters: Because of the way the sun’s particles interact with Earth’s magnetosphere, the powerful outburst should make the vibrant Northern Lights visible for a large part of the earth. wider swath of the Northern Hemisphere than normal.

    Here’s what you need to know about the Northern Lights and how you might be able to see them in the United States on Thursday evening.

    Peak Northern Lights activity: What you need to know about auroras when the sun reaches solar maximum

    NOAA releases rare G4 solar storm watch, tracks coronal mass ejection

    Since Tuesday, NOAA has been monitoring a coronal mass ejection that exploded from the Sun on a trajectory that should reach Earth Thursday afternoon.

    Forecasters use a five-level scale to measure geometric storms, which are caused when coronal mass ejections release solar particles and electromagnetic radiation toward our planet. According to NOAA, a G4 is just one level away from the strongest solar storm possible.

    G4-level Storm watches are not common: the latest, released by NOAA in May, was the first since 2005.

    May’s geomagnetic storm was a record-breaking storm, powerful enough to cause power grid irregularities and interference with GPS signals, even with agricultural equipment. On the plus side, it also provided spectacular views of the Northern Lights in parts of the country where auroras are not often visible.

    Where will the auroras be visible?

    Although the Northern Lights are known as the best scene at the planet’s poles, powerful geomagnetic storms can make them visible to larger parts of the world.

    Thursday’s upcoming geomagnetic storm has a Kp index of 8, meaning the auroras will move even further toward the equator and become very bright and very active, NOAA said.

    “These are the events that create the best aurora and the extended auroral oval will be visible to most people, the agency explains. “At these levels, aurora can be seen directly overhead from the northern states.”

    By Thursday evening, the Northern Lights could be visible over much of the northern half of the United States, and perhaps as far south as Alabama to Northern California, according to SWPC’s experimental Aurora image line. Visibility for viewing will also depend on local weather conditions and city lights.

    States best positioned within the aurora viewing line include:

    • Alaska
    • Washington
    • Idaho
    • Montana
    • North Dakota
    • Minnesota
    • Michigan
    • Wisconsin

    The aurorae may also be “very active” in parts of Nevada, Oklahoma, Arkansas and North Carolina, according to the website of the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute at Fairbanks, which tracks the phenomenon.

    When is the best time to see the Northern Lights?

    The coming solar storm will release particles from the sun that will become entangled in Earth’s magnetic field, creating colorful auroras as they interact with molecules of atmospheric gases. The resulting glowing green and reddish colors of the aurora can be quite impressive to see – if you look up at the right time.

    As auroras form, Earth’s magnetic field sends the particles toward the poles through a process that produces a stunning display of beams, spirals and flickers that have fascinated people for thousands of years.

    According to NOAA, in clear weather the best aurora is usually visible within an hour or two after midnight.

    The agency maintains an aurora dashboard that allows skygazers to monitor the phenomenon.

    Why solar activity causes more auroras

    Fortunately for aurora hunters, there will soon be many more opportunities to catch the Northern Lights.

    Electromagnetic activity is increasing as the sun continues to reach the peak of its eleven-year solar cycle, which NASA estimates will be in 2025.

    As the sun reaches the peak of solar cycle 25, the number of sunspots in areas of intense magnetic activity should increase, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. When that magnetic activity is released, it creates intense bursts of radiation, resulting in solar flares that race toward Earth at the speed of light.

    Some of these outbursts may involve coronal mass ejections coming from the Sun’s outer atmosphere, the corona.

    These emissions can collide with Earth’s magnetosphere, the barrier that protects humanity from the harshest effects of space weather, and create geomagnetic storms that unleash spectacular views of the Northern Lights in parts of the country where auroras are not often visible.

    Eric Lagatta covers the latest and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]

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