Warnings have been issued for geomagnetic storms due to massive explosions on the Sun. These storms could result in dazzling auroras in the northern United States, Europe, and southern Australia starting Tuesday night.
In May, Earth experienced the most powerful geomagnetic storm in over two decades, leading to colorful displays of auroras in unexpected places like Hawaii, Spain, and South Africa. Mike Bettwy, the operations chief of the US-based Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), mentioned seeing large coronal mass ejections from the sun’s surface.
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are expected to arrive from Tuesday to Thursday, with geomagnetic storm watches in place for those days. The most significant activity is predicted for Tuesday, with a strong geomagnetic storm warning of G3 on the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scale.
The forecast suggests that auroras may be visible in various locations, including the northeast US, northern Scotland, northern Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the southern part of Tasmania, over the next few nights.
– ‘Cannibal CME’ –
Experts advise that auroras will be most visible in dark skies away from city lights before the Moon rises. Cameras or phones can help capture the auroras, even if they are not visible to the naked eye. When CMEs hit Earth’s magnetosphere, they can create geomagnetic storms with potential impacts on satellites, radio signals, GPS systems, and electricity grids.
Solar activity is currently approaching its peak in the 11-year cycle, with more geomagnetic storms expected in the coming years.
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