While two hurricanes churn in the Caribbean, two storms of a different kind are hurtling toward Earth.Two coronal mass ejections have prompted the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a strong geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday through Saturday. The two solar storms are bringing the potential for sightings of the aurora borealis in parts of New England. The first solar flare erupted on Monday, and the SWPC said the shock wave was first recorded on Earth-based magnetometers on Wednesday. A second, massive solar flare erupted from a sunspot on Wednesday and the SWPC estimates it will arrive at Earth late on Friday and early Saturday. The “G3” strong geomagnetic storm watch message from the SWPC indicates that the potential extent of the aurora could reach as far south as the northern border of Massachusetts. This alert is one level higher than the “G2” storm in July, which delivered an underwhelming aurora to New England in part because it peaked in the middle of the day.Also known as the northern lights, the aurora is caused by electrons colliding with the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere.The National Weather Service office in Caribou, Maine shared a photograph of the green glow of the aurora on Thursday evening.
BOSTON — While two hurricanes churn in the Caribbean, two storms of a different kind are hurtling toward Earth.
Two coronal mass ejections have prompted the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a strong geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday through Saturday. The two solar storms are bringing the potential for sightings of the aurora borealis in parts of New England.
The first solar flare erupted on Monday, and the SWPC said the shock wave was first recorded on Earth-based magnetometers on Wednesday.
A second, massive solar flare erupted from a sunspot on Wednesday and the SWPC estimates it will arrive at Earth late on Friday and early Saturday.
The “G3” strong geomagnetic storm watch message from the SWPC indicates that the potential extent of the aurora could reach as far south as the northern border of Massachusetts. This alert is one level higher than the “G2” storm in July, which delivered an underwhelming aurora to New England in part because it peaked in the middle of the day.
Also known as the northern lights, the aurora is caused by electrons colliding with the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere.
The National Weather Service office in Caribou, Maine shared a photograph of the green glow of the aurora on Thursday evening.
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.