Auroras May Illuminate US Skies Due to Intense Solar Activity and Geomagnetic Storms

Takeaways:

• A series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the sun could create visible auroras as far south as Alabama and Northern California and potentially disrupt communications on Earth.

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch, the first since January 2005, observing a G4 level storm, which is severe and 4 out of 5 in severity.

• The solar activity is part of the sun nearing its solar maximum in its 11-year cycle, leading to more intense solar flares and the potential for auroras and geomagnetic storms.

• Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure such as communications, power grids, navigation, and satellite operations, prompting operators to take protective action.

• The Space Weather Prediction Center uses data from various sources to monitor space weather, which can affect Earth within minutes to hours after solar events, and extreme storms have the potential to cause significant damage to modern technology and infrastructure.

References:

[1] Northern lights may be visible across parts of the US this weekend. Why are they so active right now?. Link

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