Intense Solar Storm Triggers Severe Geomagnetic Warning, Potential Disruptions and Aurora Displays in the US

Takeaways:

• A severe geomagnetic storm, caused by an unusually strong solar storm, hit Earth and could disrupt power and communications while producing northern lights visible in the U.S. as far south as Alabama and Northern California.

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning and alerted operators of power plants, spacecraft, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to take precautions.

• The solar storm, ranked 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, poses risks primarily to high-voltage transmission lines and satellites, which could affect navigation and communication services on Earth.

• The solar activity is part of the sun's 11-year cycle, which is currently ramping up, and has been marked by strong solar flares and coronal mass ejections since Wednesday.

• NASA indicated that the storm posed no serious threat to the astronauts aboard the International Space Station, but increased radiation levels could lead to the crew moving to better shielded parts of the station and some science satellites turning off sensitive instruments to avoid damage.

References:

[1] Strong solar storm hits Earth, could disrupt communications and produce northern lights in US. Link

[2] Northern lights forecast: Solar storm could make aurora visible in NYC. Link

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