'Severe' solar storm could bring Northern Lights to U.S. this weekend

Share on linkedin has been emitting "strong" solar flares of high-energy radiation, raising the possibility of communications disruptions but also that the Northern Lights could be seen across parts of the U.S. from Friday evening.coronal mass ejections

"What's been quite remarkable is that's it's been back to back to back — we've actually had six different eruptions" directed toward Earth, said Bill Murtagh, program coordinator at the SWPC, of the latest solar flares.The Sun's activity is measured in 11-year cycles and the current Solar Cycle 25 is "very close to solar maximum, so we can expect frequent activity," said Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist at the SWPC, in an email late Thursday.

"G4 storms are relatively rare, with about 100 over the course of an 11 year solar cycle," Steenburgh said. "The strongest storms are the most rare, with only 4 during the course of an average solar cycle. We had no G5 events during the last solar cycle.""Bursts of similar magnitude occurred yesterday," Murtagh said a phone interview late Thursday.

"Geomagnetic storms can also trigger spectacular displays of aurora on Earth. A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for aurora to be seen as far south as Alabama and Northern California." Northern tier U.S. states bordering Canada should have a good chance of seeing the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, if conditions reach G4 levels, Murtagh noted.Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Bill Murtagh, program coordinator at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, and Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist at the SWPC.Share on linkedin

NASA National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

'Severe' solar storm could trigger Northern Lights as far south as Alabama Friday nightNOAA upped the Geomagnetic Storm Watch from Moderate to Severe for Friday through Sunday. This is the first Severe Watch in 19 years. That could grace the northern tier skies with auroras but also trigger GPS problems, hamper satellite communication and black out high-frequency radio.
Source: fox32news - 🏆 547. / 51 Read more »

Prepare For Northern Lights In The U.S. This Weekend After Intense Solar Activity, Say ScientistsI'm an award-winning journalist writing about the night sky and eclipses.
Source: ForbesTech - 🏆 318. / 59 Read more »

Alabama Forestry Commission Responds to Severe Weather and Storm DamageThe Alabama Forestry Commission is one of the first to respond to areas in distress when severe weather strikes. They help open up roads and assist first responders in areas affected by storm damage.
Source: wsfa12news - 🏆 338. / 59 Read more »

Bay Bridge lights to return with almost double the number of lights, better visibilityFor ten years, the Bay Bridge lights brought a sparkle to San Francisco's skyline and a project is in the works to bring an improved version back.
Source: KPIXtv - 🏆 443. / 53 Read more »

Spectacular Northern Lights display expected across US this weekendA Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch raises the possibility of viewing the Northern Lights across the northern half of the U.S., and mostly clear skies are predicted for the Pacific Northwest.
Source: fox13seattle - 🏆 328. / 59 Read more »

Friday night lights: Aurora to glow over northern USThe weekend will kick off with a rare celestial show as the northern lights illuminate the night sky over the northern United States. Over the past few days, the sun has launched massive clouds of charged particles toward the Earth, events known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). When these hit Earth&8217;s magnetic field, they will...
Source: accuweather - 🏆 46. / 68 Read more »