Latest news with #geomagneticstorms
Forbes
2 days ago
- Climate
- Forbes
Northern Lights Alert: Some States Could See Aurora Borealis Thursday
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday some geomagnetic storms will likely disrupt Earth's magnetic field soon, which could make the northern lights visible in several states tonight. TK NOAA forecast a Kp index of five on a scale of nine for Thursday night, suggesting the northern lights will become brighter as they become more active while moving farther from the poles. Thursday's auroral forecast will likely increase through the night and into Friday morning, when some 'minor' or greater geomagnetic storms are expected, according to NOAA's three-day forecast. Calmer auroral activity is expected through Saturday night, with a maximum Kp index of just over three and two for Friday and Saturday, respectively, NOAA's projections suggest. The northern lights have the highest chance of being seen throughout Canada, with a minimal opportunity—marked by a 'view line'—forecast through northern Iowa and other northern states. A lesser chance is expected in northern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, with a near-zero chance forecast for parts of northern Wyoming, South Dakota, northern Iowa, northern New York, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. While Alaska is forecast with a high likelihood, the state won't be dark enough at the time. (See map below.) Thursday's view line. NOAA recommends traveling to the north and finding a high, north-facing vantage point away from light pollution. If in the right area in optimal weather conditions, the aurora borealis can be visible even with lower geomagnetic activity, including a Kp index of three or four, the agency said, noting the northern lights are best seen within at least two hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. Photography experts told National Geographic a wide-angle lens and an aperture or F-stop of four or lower are recommended, though other settings like ISO and shutter speed will likely need to be adjusted depending on the strength of the aurora borealis. With a smartphone, the experts suggest using a tripod to stabilize the image long enough to capture the northern lights displays. They also recommend disabling flash and enabling night mode. An increase in northern lights displays throughout the U.S. follows a peak in solar activity reached in October 2024, NOAA and NASA said. This peak features more solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which produce the northern lights as electrons from these events collide with oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere. Though the northern lights can be seen throughout the year, they are most visible between late September and March when nights are longer, experts said.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Climate
- Forbes
Northern Lights Alert: Here's Where Aurora Borealis May Appear Tuesday
A selection of states along the Canadian border could have a chance to see the northern lights Tuesday after a period of recent geomagnetic storms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Some geomagnetic storms pulled the northern lights to more states in recent days. NOAA forecast auroral activity with a Kp index of three on a scale of nine, suggesting the northern lights could become more active farther from the poles and be 'quite pleasing to look at' for those in the right areas. Tuesday's auroral forecast follows 'minor' geomagnetic storms that disrupted Earth's magnetic field over the last two days, increasing the Kp index to around four and boosting a chance to see the northern lights in Maine, South Dakota, New York, New Hampshire and Vermont. No minor or greater geomagnetic storms are expected through Thursday, according to NOAA's three-day forecast, with calmer auroral activity also forecast. There's a lesser chance the northern lights will be visible in parts of northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. A higher likelihood is forecast across Canada and Alaska. (See map below.) Tuesday's view line. NOAA recommends traveling to a high vantage point away from light pollution to see the northern lights, which the agency said are best seen between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. With a smartphone, NOAA suggests enabling night mode and disabling flash, while also using a tripod to stabilize the image. If using a regular camera, photography experts told National Geographic it's best to use a wide-angle lens, an aperture or F-stop of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting. Activity on the sun's surface achieved a 'solar maximum' in October 2024, meaning the northern lights could be more visible into early 2026. NOAA and NASA said this peak corresponds with an increase in solar events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which are responsible for the northern lights. Electrons from these events collide with oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere, causing them to release energy in the form of swirling lights. The strongest geomagnetic storm to reach Earth in two decades reached the atmosphere in May 2024, bringing the northern lights as far south as Florida and Texas.
Forbes
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Forbes
Northern Lights Alert: Here's Where Aurora Borealis May Appear Thursday
A group of states across the northern U.S. will have a chance to see the northern lights Thursday, with more areas likely to see the phenomenon as some geomagnetic storms are expected later this week, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Some 'minor' to 'moderate' geomagnetic storms are likely later this week, forecasters said. Auroral activity is forecast with a Kp index of three on a scale of nine for Thursday night, suggesting the northern lights will be 'quite pleasing to look at' for stargazers in the right areas, as the displays will likely be more active farther from the poles. Thursday's aurora forecast follows some 'minor' geomagnetic storms late Wednesday, which brought a likelihood for northern lights displays to nearly 15 states, NOAA's three-day forecast indicates. Some 'minor' to 'moderate' geomagnetic storms are expected Saturday night because of sustained solar winds, NOAA said, which could increase the Kp index forecast to nearly six, though a Kp index of four is projected for Friday. Most of Canada and Alaska will have a higher chance of seeing the northern lights, with a lesser opportunity forecast for parts of northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. (See map below.) Thursday's view line. About 10 states will have an opportunity to view the northern lights Friday, with a lower chance forecast for Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine, with the highest likelihood forecast for Alaska. NOAA suggests traveling to a high, north-facing and unobstructed vantage point away from light pollution between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. If using a smartphone, NASA recommends using a tripod to stabilize the image, enabling night mode and disabling flash. With a regular camera, photography experts told National Geographic it's best to use a wide-angle lens, an aperture or F-stop of four or less and a focus set to the furthest possible setting. Geomagnetic storms disrupt Earth's magnetic fields around the north and south poles, where electrons accelerate and 'bombard' the upper atmosphere while creating aurora borealis. More aurora borealis displays are expected through early 2026, according to projections from NASA and NOAA, after a 'solar maximum' was reached on the sun's surface last year. This peak, achieved periodically over the sun's 11-year cycle, represents an increase in solar events like solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These events are also responsible for the northern lights, as electrons from these events collide with molecules of oxygen and nitrogen in the Earth's atmosphere, causing them to become 'excited' before releasing energy in the form of swirling lights.
Forbes
02-06-2025
- Climate
- Forbes
Northern Lights Forecast: 15 States—Including New York—Could See Aurora Borealis Tonight
Strong geomagnetic storms could produce a northern lights show in about 15 states Monday night, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast, as a solar flare observed over the weekend has triggered powerful displays of aurora borealis. The northern lights may be visible in more than a dozen states Monday night. (Photo by Patrick ... More Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images) NOAA forecast Monday night's aurora borealis could have a Kp index of five, the strength of the aurora borealis measured on a scale from zero to nine, indicating 'more auroral activity' that can be 'quite pleasing to look at.' The northern lights are expected to be active Monday night because of strong geomagnetic storms, which NOAA forecasts will reach a level of G3 on a scale of G1 to G5, indicating 'strong' geomagnetic storms that will disturb the Earth's magnetic field. These geomagnetic storms are linked to an Earth-bound solar flare that was emitted Friday, according to NOAA, which caused geomagnetic storms measured at a level of G4 on Sunday, indicating 'severe' strength. Sunday night's northern lights forecast was especially strong, according to NOAA, with visibility projected for nearly two dozen states. Strong northern lights conditions will continue this week, according to NOAA's three-day forecast, as lingering geomagnetic storms are expected Tuesday before decreasing in strength. Alaskans and Canadians have the highest likelihood of seeing aurora borealis Monday night, according to NOAA's forecast. Other states with strong chances of seeing the northern lights include Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. States included along the aurora's 'view line,' the southernmost point at which likelihood of seeing the northern lights is the lowest, include Wyoming, Iowa, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Monday night's northern lights forecast. The northern lights will be easiest to see between about 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, according to NOAA. The best way to view the lights is by avoiding light pollution, traveling as far north as possible and finding a high vantage point. Travel photographers told National Geographic the best way to capture the northern lights is by using a wide-angle lens, as well as a tripod for stability. For iPhone users, the camera app's night mode can help make the lights more visible. Other tactics that can help produce a better image include using an aperture value of 4.0 or lower and adding details to the image by capturing trees, bodies of water or mountains. The northern lights have been especially active over the past year because of increased solar activity, like geomagnetic storms and solar flares. NOAA said although this weekend's flare was especially strong, scientists do not expect geomagnetic storms associated with the flare to be as strong as in May 2024, when a series of powerful solar flares triggered severe geomagnetic storms and northern lights displays as far south as Florida. Scientists say the sun is currently in its 'solar maximum,' the period in its 11-year cycle during which it is most active, though this solar cycle has exceeded scientists' expectations: NASA estimated northern lights activity in 2024 reached a 500-year peak. NASA scientists said they expect strong aurora activity to continue throughout this year before declining in the latter part of the decade. Northern Lights Displays Hit A 500-Year Peak In 2024—Here's Where You Could Catch Aurora Borealis In 2025 (Forbes)
The Independent
02-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Solar storms are causing Elon Musk's SpaceX satellites to plunge to Earth
NASA scientists have found that eruptions from the sun are causing Elon Musk 's Starlink satellites to fall to Earth faster than expected due to increased atmospheric drag from geomagnetic storms. The study, conducted by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, revealed that SpaceX's Starlink constellation is particularly susceptible to geomagnetic storms, which are increasing as the Sun reaches the peak of its 11-year activity cycle. Researchers noted that satellites orbiting below 300 kilometres are burning up approximately 10 days earlier than anticipated during geomagnetic storms, increasing the risk of satellite parts reaching the ground. In February 2022, most of the 49 Starlink satellites launched from a Falcon 9 rocket fell back to Earth over the Caribbean, with the event coinciding with a minor geomagnetic storm; and in August 2024, a piece of a Starlink satellite was found on a farm in Canada. There are currently over 7,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, and SpaceX plans to expand the constellation to 30,000, raising concerns about the increased likelihood of satellite debris not fully burning up in the atmosphere.
