An anticipated geomagnetic storm could lead to an increased likelihood of witnessing the aurora this New Year’s Eve. Solar storms causing a geomagnetic storm on Earth may result in the northern lights or aurora borealis being visible beyond the Arctic Circle and reaching the northernmost U.S. states as per a forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on December 31.
The moderate to strong G2-G3 geomagnetic storm, with a Kp index of 6-7, predicted by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center for December 31, suggests that the aurora might be visible in places like New York and Idaho, and potentially even as far south as Illinois and Oregon.
The Kp-index is a measure of geomagnetic activity in Earth’s atmosphere, with NOAA stating that for a Kp range of 6 to 7, the aurora will move further from the poles and become brighter and more active.
Additionally, a minor G1-level geomagnetic storm warning is in effect from New Year’s Eve into January 1, typically resulting in auroras visible only from higher latitudes like northern Michigan and Maine.
Multiple solar flares, including two X-class solar flares and 17 M-class flares, occurred on the Sun within 24 hours on December 29. Two of the M-class flares emitted solar storms called coronal mass ejections (CMEs) towards Earth, prompting the issuance of two geomagnetic storm warnings by the Space Weather Prediction Center.
The CMEs, traveling 93 million miles, are expected to reach Earth in the early hours of December 31 and January 1, providing the best opportunity to witness a vibrant aurora.
The aurora, also known as the northern lights or southern lights, occurs when charged particles released by the Sun during flares interact with Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in colorful glows of light visible as the aurora.
For detailed information about when and where to see the aurora, clear night skies are ideal. The geomagnetic storm early on New Year’s Eve could bring the aurora to regions above 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude, such as Alaska, Washington, Montana, and other states.
Updates on the forecast are available on NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center website. The recent surge in strong geomagnetic storms signifies a phase of heightened solar activity on the Sun, with the current solar maximum period expected to last until at least 2026. Please rewrite this sentence.
Source link
