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Space weather: Solar flares cause stunning Northern Lights in US
Strong solar flares hurled plasma at Earth, causing amazing auroras. These storms are rare, but thanks to space weather tracking, impacts are minimal.
Reuters
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have issued a Solar Storm watch for Tuesday, but experts say New Jersey should not see any harmful effects or any aurora.
Currently there is a G1 watch out for geomagnetic storms Tuesday. A G1 solar storm is categorized as a minor storm, and only minor impact on satellite operations are possible.
In more severe circumstances like a G5 geomagnetic storm, some power grid systems can experience problems and potential blackouts can occur in surrounding areas.
Geomagnetic storms occur when there is a “very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth,” as explained by the NOAA. These effects can cause a widespread of changes in earth’s atmosphere but because Tuesday’s potential storm is a low size, the chance to see aurora in the New Jersey area is not high, said NOAA representative Gary Patterson.
Related: New research could help predict the next solar flare
Patterson said satellite disruptions are not likely in the New Jersey area either despite the potential of a solar storm, “it’s a pretty small storm that we are looking at.” Patterson talked about the severe solar storm that hit earth in May, but this one will be on a much smaller scale.
“The previous storm had multiple coronal mass ejections piling up at the same time past earth. In this event, [the ejections] are only clipping the earth. The heightened responses should not be felt. If there will be impacts, they will be fairly minor,” said Patterson.
On the NOAA website there is an aurora forecast for those curious about what parts of the world may be most affected by the solar storm.
Unfortunately for New Jerseyans, it may be a while before we have the opportunity to see the Northern Lights, which may return next summer when NASA predicts its next peak.
Daisy Hips is a science communicator who brings the wonders of the natural world to readers. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to environmental conservation. Daisy is also an advocate for science education and enjoys stargazing in her spare time.
