Solar Storms Hitting Earth May Trigger A Brilliant Northern Light Show On Thursday
The solar eruptions, launched from a hyper-active sunspot region (AR4246) between October 11 and 13, have been projected to deliver a series of powerful one-two (and three and four) punches to our planet through the week, with the most significant geomagnetic activity forecast to peak late tonight (October 16) and into the early hours of Friday, October 17.
Meanwhile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm watch for the period, indicating conditions strong enough to push the aurora borealis far south of its typical polar range.
A CME is a massive burst of magnetized plasma and solar wind that erupts from the Sun's atmosphere. While CMEs are common, a sequence of four Earth-directed ones in close succession is unusual. This solar storm train is expected to compress and intensify, potentially triggering subsequently more powerful effects as they slam into Earth's magnetosphere. When these highly-charged particles do arrive, they are funneled toward the poles, where they excite the oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the upper atmosphere, resulting in vibrant green, red, and purple light known as the aurora.
- Go north and go dark: Find a location with a clear, unobstructed view of the northern horizon, far away from city light pollution.
- Check the weather: Cloud cover is the aurora hunter's biggest foe. Check your local forecast for clear skies.
- Be patient: Auroras can be fickle and appear as faint, shifting white or grey glows on the horizon before bursting into color.
- Use your camera: Cameras, especially with a long-exposure (or Night) setting, can often capture the colors of the aurora even when they are too dim for the naked eye.
