Geomagnetic storms from solar flares may supercharge northern lights across US, Canada

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Geomagnetic storms from solar flares may supercharge northern lights across US, Canada

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The northern lights dance over Bashaw, Alberta in Canada on Aug. 11, 2024 in this amazing photo by skywatcher Darlene Tanner. | Credit: Darlene Tanner

The sun’s stormy weather is supercharging auroras on Earth this week, due to a series of intense geomagnetic storms triggered by recent solar flares.

On Monday (Aug. 12), the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) detected a severe G4-class geomagnetic storm over Earth at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT) that surely would have amplified

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displays across the ******* States if it had not occurred in the middle of the day.

“A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for aurora to be seen faintly as far south as Alabama and Northern California,” SWPC officials said in a statement.

By Monday afternoon, geomagnetic storm conditions had weakened to a “moderate” G2-class storm, NOAA reported, which could make the northern lights visible from regions as far south as the upper ******* States, including Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Wisconsin. It is expected to continue through at least Tuesday evening (Aug. 13), NOAA officials

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If a G2-class storm sounds a bit meh after the brief G4-class storm earlier on Monday, consider that an even weaker G1-class storm sparked dazzling auroras across the U.S. and Canada in late July.

Related: Perseid meteor shower and northern lights excite stargazers worldwide

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An aurora alert map for Aug. 13, 2024 from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center showing regions with good aurora chances in red and green.

The geomagnetic storms were triggered by solar particles expelled by

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during a series of explosive

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that accompanied no less than five

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since Aug. 10. When they reach Earth, those charged solar particles are funneled over the poles by the planet’s

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, where they interact with the atmosphere to create glowing auroras.

In the Northern Hemisphere, this light show is called the aurora borealis, or northern lights. In the Southern Hemisphere, it’s known as the aurora australis, or southern lights.

A chance of amplified northern lights is not the only amazing sight stargazers can see in the night sky this week. The annual Perseid meteor shower is peaking overnight on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12, bringing with it the potential to see auroras and meteors on the same night for some lucky stargazers. If you’re hoping to snap a photo of the northern lights, check out our guide on

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Editor’s note:  If you capture a stunning photo or video of the northern lights (or southern lights!) and want to share them with Space.com for a possible story, send images, comments on the view and your location, as well as use permissions to *****@*****.tld.

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#Geomagnetic #storms #solar #flares #supercharge #northern #lights #Canada

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