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Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies: The US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is calling for a strong geomagnetic storm that could cause northern lights.
We usually see the northern lights after a strong solar flare.This is where magnetic fields become entangled and then broken, releasing intense bursts of radiation that can disrupt high-frequency radio signals here on Earth.
A flare is usually followed by a coronal mass ejection, or CME. A CME is a fast-moving stream of particles ejected by the Sun that travels very quickly with the solar wind.
If the Earth is in its path, the particles interact with our magnetic field and molecules in the atmosphere, creating a beautiful light show in the sky.
Three CMEs have occurred in the last two days. Two will cause a glancing blow to Earth, while the third, which occurred on Wednesday, will be directed toward Earth, according to the SWPC.
Glancing impacts may have been responsible for the appearance of the northern lights, also known as the northern lights. south to Minnesota on Wednesday evening.
The SWPC is calling for a G3 geomagnetic storm, which is considered severe on a scale of G1 to G5.
As always, there is a caveat: these storms are difficult to predict.
“There is a fair degree of confidence that this CME is Earth-oriented, and a moderate level of confidence in the timing of the CME's arrival, which we expect to range from Thursday evening to Friday morning. [Eastern time],” SWPC wrote yesterday.
“However, as is typical with these events, we have less confidence in the intensity of the resulting geomagnetic storm following the eventual arrival and passage of a CME. So this G3 watch represents our potential-based forecast. “
So how strong it can be is unknown.
Another problem is that it is a full moon, which will drown out any faint northern lights. But there is still a chance, since they were visible on Wednesday, when the Moon was in a similar phase.
The most important thing is that you end up in a place with a good view of the northern horizon.
And again, remember that everything needs to be in order for a good demonstration: tThe solar wind must be very fast, and the polar hole through which the particles move must be inclined to the south. The further south it is, the farther south they will be visible.
You can see if the aurora is visible in your area using apps like Aurora AlertsAnd My Aurora forecast.
