Three rapid bursts of charged particles heading toward Earth from the sun’s scorching outer atmosphere on Wednesday could produce spectacular aurora borealis across large swathes of the United States as the weekend begins, with colorful hues appearing as far south as Florida. There is sex.
Three coronal mass ejections (CMEs) traveling at more than 1.5 million miles per hour merged into a single pulse of plasma and magnetic field during their 60-hour journey from the solar atmosphere to our atmosphere.
Experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are tracking these trends. Space Weather Forecast Center announced a “severe geomagnetic storm watch” in advance of its arrival. This is the first time in nearly 20 years that the agency has issued such a warning.
This expected storm could result in visible aurora borealis across much of the United States. An event of this magnitude could cause disruption to radio, satellite, and even some power grids, but most people don’t need to worry.
This weekend’s chance for aurora borealis began with a sunspot more than 10 times the size of Earth. In fact, this is a very large sunspot. visible without magnification Through my leftover eclipse glasses.
Solar flares and CMEs are often associated with sunspots. As the spots become larger and more powerful, the ejection of material from the Sun’s atmosphere can become more frequent and more powerful.
A satellite specialized in tracking solar activity detected the first CME emerging from the sun’s corona around 9 a.m. EDT on May 8. A second, smaller CME erupted from the same area several hours later, followed by another explosion of charged material about eight hours later. A few hours later.
All three CMEs erupted with different intensities and velocities. Since the first CME was the largest and slowest of the trio, it was possible for the second, faster CME to collide and join the first. Eventually, the third CME in this cluster will catch up, allowing three surges of charged particles to reach Earth in a single wave about 60 hours after they are ejected from the Sun.
The sum of the intensities of three CMEs pushing through Earth’s atmosphere simultaneously is the driving force behind intense geomagnetic storms.
If all goes well, a memorable series of northern lights could grace the skies across much of the United States from Friday night into early Saturday morning.
Due to the timing of the event, the peak of disruption across the United States will likely be late at night, and if the event goes well, it will be a prime viewing opportunity in most parts of the country.
When a geomagnetic storm of this strength occurs, the aurora can be seen overhead from Seattle to Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., and even as far south as Oklahoma City and Raleigh, North Carolina. Color may be visible from the northern horizon as far south as northern Florida.
People in Europe and Asia may also see the Northern Lights if a storm arrives at night. At the peak of an event of this scale, the Northern Lights can dance overhead around London, Paris, Berlin and Moscow.