Earth is currently in the path of multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun, which are expected to bring the stunning aurora borealis and australis to evening skies over a larger portion of the planet. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center is forecasting a thirty percent chance of a strong geomagnetic storm for Tuesday, potentially causing aurora displays and outages to electronic equipment such as satellites and components of the electrical grid on the ground.
These CMEs are energetically charged plasma that exploded from the sun’s outer layer and are on their way to collide with Earth’s magnetic field, creating geomagnetic storms. The stronger the storm, the farther south the aurora may be visible, reaching US states like Oregon, Iowa, and Pennsylvania during a strong G3 storm. In May of this year, a historic G4 event provided widespread auroral displays, and this week’s forecast, while of lower confidence, is also worth watching.
The upcoming strong geomagnetic storm alert is triggered by a “cannibal” CME, in which a faster CME overtakes a slower one on its way to Earth, essentially merging the two and intensifying the impact. The cannibal CME is set to arrive on Tuesday, with other CMEs expected later in the week, potentially making Wednesday and beyond quite interesting in terms of aurora displays.
Surprisingly, all these CMEs are associated with moderate, M-class solar flares. Additionally, there might be some action from the region of the sun that unleashed the most powerful flare of this solar cycle last week, along with a major CME that was not directed towards Earth. It’s shaping up to be a week worth watching the sky for auroras, and readers are encouraged to check back with Forbes or sites like the Space Weather Prediction Center for the latest aurora forecasts.
