What is twilight? Northern lights explained
The aurora borealis, which dances across the sky in vibrant bands of color, is one of nature’s most spectacular natural phenomena.
A powerful M-class solar flare triggered a high-frequency radio blackout on Tuesday, and multiple outbursts from the Sun led to geomagnetic storms being observed later this week, space weather forecasters say.
Amazing video: Aurora Borealis “Watermelon” dancing over Alaska
On Tuesday, NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center He said the M9.8 solar flare created a high-frequency radio dimming event and the associated flare was recorded by NOAA’s GOES-19 satellite. High-frequency radio decay was possible over the eastern part of the South Pacific Ocean while the flare was in progress, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Due to recent activity, more M-class flares and a slight chance of X-class flares, the strongest on NOAA’s scale, are possible, SWPC said.
Solar flares are classified according to their strength Five categories Defined by letters. M and X torches are the most powerful. An X-class flare is the largest explosion and can produce energy equivalent to a billion atomic bombs, according to NASA.
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More solar flares associated with it are Earth-bound, SWPC said.
At least three mass coronal ejections, or CMEs, occurred Sunday, sending clouds of plasma from the Sun toward Earth. A coronal ejection can take between one and three days to reach Earth’s atmosphere. When multiple solar eruptions occur, one event can outpace the other, resulting in cascading solar storms.
Forecasters expect the first impacts from solar particles to arrive early Wednesday evening as a “possible lightning strike” or “close to Earth” with the next round of solar wind arriving with “at least lightning strikes” by Thursday.
NOAA has a 5-point rating scale for solar storms ranging from G1 to G5. Models indicate G1 (minor) levels are possible on Thursday and G2 (moderate) levels are possible on Friday as additional CMEs arrive.
7 things to know about the northern lights
NOAA space weather forecasters constantly monitor the Sun using solar observing instruments on satellites to detect and predict space weather as it occurs. After a solar flare, computer models help determine when particles are expected to reach Earth’s atmosphere.
What are the effects of a solar storm?
The northern lights dance above the National Weather Service office in Riverton, Wyoming on Sunday, November 5, 2023. (Photo: NWS Riverton)
For most, the geomagnetic storm will have no effect. A strong storm (G3) could cause intermittent disruption of satellite navigation and low-frequency radio navigation. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issues space weather forecasts to help spacecraft operators and power suppliers prepare their systems for potential impacts.
For the public, a solar storm can actually be exciting because charged particles colliding with Earth’s atmosphere create the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights. These dancing lights are most common around the poles, but with a strong solar storm they can appear at lower latitudes.
Noah Aurora control panel It shows the potential for faint aurora lights to appear across the northern United States starting Wednesday night.
Recent solar storms in November created vivid displays of the northern lights as far south as the Carolinas.
More geomagnetic storms and associated aurora activity occur because of this The sun’s activity is increasing As it approaches the solar maximum during an 11-year solar cycle. Latest SWPC Forecast for Solar cycle 25 It transitions to solar maximum until January and October 2024.