Space weather experts warn that moderately strong geomagnetic storms could hit Earth on Friday or Saturday (August 8 or 9).
On Wednesday (August 6), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a geomagnetic storm clock, suggesting that the storm is likely related to recent solar flares that erupt from active regions of the sun.
The impact of such a storm is easy to manage and is limited to technology infrastructure, NOAA said. But as a Skywatcher bonus, Aurora might be visible from New York to Idaho.
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Geomagnetic storms are temporary obstacles to the Earth’s magnetosphere caused by solar winds entering nearby spaces. Long, fast winds moving in opposite directions of the Earth’s magnetic field often cause the most prominent storms.
The largest geomagnetic storms are associated with coronal mass ejection (CME). This is the elimination of billions of tons of plasma from the sun. The plasma and magnetic field embedded within it usually reaches Earth a few days after erupting from the sun. The possibility of future storms is predicted based on the CME that occurred on August 5th after the solar flare.
This warning predicts that the storm will peak as a medium category G2 storm on the NOAA five-layer scale to assess the severity of geomagnetic storms. (The Category G5 storm is the strongest, as it collided with the Earth in May 2024, making the Aurora visible south to Florida.)
Related: Scientists discover powerful and unexpected links between Earth’s magnetic field and oxygen levels
The onslaught of solar winds causes changes in the Earth’s magnetosphere flow, plasma, and fields, which can cause energy particles to gather in the ionosphere. This is part of the atmosphere that serves as the boundary between the earth and space vacuum. The excess heat and density of the ionosphere can force satellites in low Earth orbit, affecting radio signals. This can destroy any GPS-dependent navigation system.
Geomagnetic storms often produce observable auroras at unusually low latitudes. NOAA predicts that, like South Dakota and Iowa, there may be opportunities to witness the Northern Lights tomorrow and Saturday.
While it is difficult for experts to guess exactly when the aurora light will appear, agents suggest that the “best” aurora lights can usually be seen in the dark, within an hour or two of midnight. Full Sturgeon Moon, which rises on August 9th at sunset, could surround Auroras.
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