The gorgeous green, purple and red colors of the aurora borealis might be visible from the northern parts of the upper Midwest tonight thanks to a solar ejection slamming into the Earth.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SPWC) has put out a G1 geomagnetic storm watch for June 4 in anticipation of a coronal mass ejection (CME) flung out from the sun hitting our planet’s magnetic field.
G1 geomagnetic storms can lead to the northern lights being seen as far south as the north of Michigan and Maine.
“A coronal mass ejection is an eruption of solar material. When they arrive at Earth, a geomagnetic storm can result,” the SWPC said in the release. “A CME that left the sun on June 1 may begin to impact Earth’s atmosphere on June 4.”
“The aurora may become visible along the horizon of northern tier and far north upper Midwest states.”
G1 Watch for Tuesday, June 4…
CMEs are huge clouds of solar plasma and magnetic field that are blasted out from the sun, usually from magnetically active regions like sunspots, and are often accompanied by solar flares.
If Earth is in the path of a CME, it can reach our planet within one to three days, depending on the speed of the ejection. When a CME impacts Earth’s magnetosphere, it can cause geomagnetic storms due to its interaction with our planet’s magnetic field.
Geomagnetic storms are ranked on a scale from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme), meaning that the storm hitting us tonight is the weakest type. There are around 1,700 G1 storms per 11-year solar cycle, while more powerful G4s only occur around 100 times per cycle, and G5 storms are only seen about four times per cycle.
The G5 geomagnetic storm that hit Earth on May 10, triggering the northern lights to be seen across all 50 U.S. states, and even as far south as Mexico, and was the first recorded since 2003.
“The strength of a solar storm is rated on a scale that is analogous to the hurricane scale. Roger Dube, a professor of physics at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, told Newsweek.
“The Earth’s magnetic field causes charged particles to spiral around the polar regions as they move, increasing the likelihood of colliding with molecules in the atmosphere. These collisions include the emission of light of different colors, creating the colorful atmospheric showers that are called the northern lights.”
ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
According to the SWPC, G1 storms can lead to weak fluctuations in the power grid and minor impacts on satellites. More powerful storms have a much greater effect on our planet and our infrastructure: G5 storms can cause such widespread voltage control problems that there may be damage to transformers, and satellites may require more frequent orbital adjustments due to increased atmospheric drag.
The most powerful geomagnetic storm in recorded history was the Carrington Event in 1859, which triggered fires in telegraph offices.
“In that strongest-ever Carrington Event, there were reports of telegraph lines sparking with the voltages induced in them,” Alan Woodward, a professor of computer science and space weather expert at the University of Surrey in the U.K., previously told Newsweek.
“If that were to happen today, you can imagine just how much electronic equipment we depend upon and extrapolate how it is disruptive on Earth.”
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about CMEs? Let us know via [email protected].
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Dr. Sarah Adams is a scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to all. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
