USA could potentially witness a vibrant display of Aurora borealis across extensive regions.
Powerful Solar Storm to Light Up Northern Skies
A powerful solar storm is surging towards Earth, and scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center have issued a geomagnetic storm watch for Monday through Tuesday. This solar storm could potentially produce a dazzling display across the northern tier of the United States and the Midwest into Tuesday.
The solar storm began with a medium-to-strong solar flare that erupted from the sun on Saturday, launching a full-halo coronal mass ejection towards Earth. This interaction between the solar material and Earth's magnetic field could trigger geomagnetic storms, resulting in the stunning natural phenomenon known as the northern lights.
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are most common in the skies over locations closer to the North Pole. However, the current solar storm could drive the aurora much farther south than usual, potentially reaching parts of Iowa, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. Clear skies are forecast for the Great Lakes area on Monday night, including Minnesota, parts of the Dakotas, and Montana, providing ideal conditions for viewing the northern lights.
Clear areas on Monday night are also expected in northern New England. However, a weather system moving up the Eastern Seaboard could bring widespread cloud cover to that region. Additionally, an upper-level disturbance is expected to move into the Northern Plains, bringing clouds over the Dakotas on Sunday night. By Monday night, cloudy skies across the Northwest are forecast to shift farther east.
The weather prediction center expects the storm to arrive late Monday, producing a G2-level, or moderate, geomagnetic storm. By Tuesday, conditions could intensify to a G3 (strong) storm. The northern lights are a spectacle of nature, with oxygen in the atmosphere producing green or red light, while nitrogen gives rise to shades of blue and purple.
It's important to note that the search results do not provide the name of the weather meteorologist working at the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center who informed about the possible appearance of the Northern Lights on Monday. Regardless, this solar storm promises to be a remarkable event, and those in the right locations should have a unique opportunity to witness the northern lights in the coming days.
