Solar storms can cause geomagnetic storms on Earth, and the aurora borealis may appear even further away low latitudes, from today through Thursday, according to the US NOAA.
In May, the planet experienced the strongest geomagnetic storms of the last 20 years.
The northern lights then lit up the night sky in the US, Europe and Australia, at latitudes where this phenomenon does not normally occur.
Solar storms can be accompanied by a coronal mass emission (CME), a cloud of plasma composed of charged particles that reaches Earth within a few days.
Colorful “curtain” of light
From its interaction with the Earth’s magnetic field arises the aurora borealis, a giant, colored “curtain” of light waving in the sky.
Four CMEs are already headed toward Earth and will arrive between tonight and Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced. The most intense activity is expected tonight, with a Category 3 geomagnetic storm, up from the Category 5 storm in May.
According to NOAA, the northern lights will be seen by residents of Canada and parts of the northern US.
“With a bit of luck” the phenomenon could also appear in northern Europe, England, Germany, Holland and Belgium, according to the SpaceWeatherLive website.
CMEs can also cause disruptions to the power grid and telecommunications. Solar activity, based on its eleven-year cycle, is expected to peak between late 2024 and 2026.
The strongest geomagnetic storm ever recorded, the so-called “Carrington episode” after the astronomer who observed it, occurred in 1859. Afterward, telegraph lines were overloaded, so much so that the equipment caught fire.
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