Auroras is perhaps seen as far south in the US as northern Michigan or Maine.
The Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts a minor, G1-scale storm from the sun tonight (Dec. 23) that might generate northern lights as soon as the solar particles hit the atmosphere of Earth and work together with our planet’s magnetic subject strains.
Whereas that sounds thrilling, will probably be seemingly very troublesome for U.S. observers to see any potential northern lights as a “bomb cyclone” is driving a large winter storm throughout the northern and japanese United States.
In pictures: Stunning northern lights from intense solar storms thrill stargazers
Photo voltaic particles can even trigger points with the facility grid or in shorting out satellites, however thankfully for these working over the vacation season, it seems that the aurora’s impact can be minor. NOAA solely forecasts “weak energy grid fluctuations” and attainable “minor impression on satellite operations.”
NASA and NOAA maintain a continuing watch on the sun utilizing satellites, spacecraft and telescopes to greatest inform infrastructure managers find out how to maintain issues operating, particularly throughout busy instances like the vacations.
NASA and different science businesses additionally work on creating fashions of the sun’s habits to higher perceive how the 11-year cycle of sunspots works and the way warmth is generated all through the sun. Spacecraft just like the Parker Solar Probe are permitting the company to additional refine its fashions and enhance forecasts.
Elizabeth Howell is the co-author of “Why Am I Taller (opens in new tab)?” (ECW Press, 2022; with Canadian astronaut Dave Williams), a e-book about space drugs. Observe her on Twitter @howellspace (opens in new tab). Observe us on Twitter @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab) or Facebook (opens in new tab).
