“Severe” solar storm could bring Northern Lights to U.S. this weekend

May 10, 2024

The sun has emitted at least six strong solar flares of high-energy radiation aimed directly at the earth in the past 48 hours. Axios reports that this has prompted a “very rare” severe geomagnetic storm watch from NOAA.

This would be the first such alert in 19 years and the resulting solar storm could cause communications disruptions and the Northern Lights in lower latitudes across much of the U.S.

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) reported Thursday that, “A large sunspot cluster has produced several moderate to strong solar flares since Wednesday.” Those solar flares have produced large bursts of plasma known as coronal mass ejections or CMEs.

CMEs have the potential to damage satellites, disrupt communications and impact infrastructure. Bill Murtagh is the program coordinator of the SWPC and he noted, “What’s been quite remarkable is that it’s been back to back to back — we’ve actually had six different eruptions.” 

“Additional solar eruptions could cause geomagnetic storm conditions to persist through the weekend,” The SWPC reported, “Geomagnetic storms can also trigger spectacular displays of aurora on Earth. A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for aurora to be seen as far south as Alabama and Northern California.”

Photo: top, Credit: NOAA