Brilliant Auroras Predicted Across the U.S. Due to Intense Solar Storm

Colorful auroras are expected to illuminate parts of the United States skies on Wednesday evening, courtesy of a powerful solar storm, as reported by the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center. This phenomenon means that the stunning light display could be witnessed much further south than usual.

“There’s potential for the aurora to be visible across several northern states and parts of the lower Midwest all the way to Oregon,” the center announced.

Initially, the center issued a warning of a potent geomagnetic storm on Tuesday following multiple coronal mass ejections from the sun that reached Earth earlier than anticipated. It was later confirmed that at 4:55 p.m. Wednesday, the storm intensified to G4, or severe conditions, prompting an upgraded geomagnetic storm alert.

Classified initially as a level 3 storm on a scale from 1 to 5, the storm is now at level 4, which could potentially interrupt communications, affect the power grid, and impact satellite functions, the center cautioned.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) involve vast clouds of ionized gas or plasma and magnetic fields that burst from the sun’s outer layer. When these eruptions target Earth, they can trigger geomagnetic storms, severely disrupting Earth’s magnetic field.

Officials from the center predicted that conditions ranging from minor to robust geomagnetic storms could continue until Thursday. Therefore, if cloud cover obscures the view on Wednesday, auroras might still be visible on Thursday night.

Currently, the sun is undergoing solar maximum, the apex of its 11-year cycle. With heightened solar activity, scientists have recorded increasingly powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections emanating from the sun.