If you live in the northern half of the U.S., then the Northern Lights could be coming to a sky near you.
On Oct. 9, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a “severe” G4 solar storm watch after a “fast coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the Sun” on the evening of Oct. 8.
They define a CME as an “eruption of solar material and magnetic fields” that causes a geomagnetic storm once it reaches Earth. They expect the storm to arrive on Oct. 10 and extend through Oct. 11.
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While CMEs impact Earth in a variety of ways, the Northern Lights is one of the most popular.
Also known as aurora borealis, the Northern Lights are a natural light display that occurs when energized particles from the sun slam into Earth’s upper atmosphere, causing a ribbon of colors to appear in the sky.
While it’s generally only seen in a few areas across the US, the newest solar storm has a potential to reach “severe” status. The more severe the storm, the more visible the lights.
According to the NOAA, the lights will likely be visible across most of the northern half of the US on Thursday. Visibly could extend as far south as Alabama to Northern California.
On Thursday, the NOAA confirmed that the CME reached Earth at 11:17 AM EDT on Oct. 10. It was initially graded a G3 solar storm, but was upgraded to a G4 storm by 1:00 PM EDT.
They say there is still a possibility it reaches G5 status by the end of tomorrow, but it remains a G4 watch.
Solar storm could have impact on technology
While the solar storm isn’t expected to impact everyday life, the NOAA does expect it to disrupt modern technology in a variety of ways.
For example, they expect power systems to experience “possible widespread voltage control problems” and spacecrafts to experience “surface charging and tracking problems” that may require correction.
It can also “create errors in the positioning information provided by GPS” and disrupt navigation systems.
Luckily, the power grid in the U.S. is “equipped to handle a slight disruption” and experts don’t expect the average person to be affected by the solar storm, according to ABC News.
The NOAA expects to know more about the incoming CME when it “arrives 1 million miles from Earth.” At that point, they can measure its “speed and magnetic intensity” via the DSCOVR and ACE satellites.
Solar storm can also impact hurricane recovery efforts
Aside from the Northern Lights being visible farther south than usual and technology being disrupted, the NOAA warns that the solar storm could impact recovery efforts for Hurricane Milton and Helene.
“The storm could put additional stress on power grids already weakened by the hurricanes,” they wrote, adding that “navigation systems, especially those relied upon in disaster relief, may be degraded.”
According to CNN, Hurricane Milton made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Oct. 10 before weakening as it tore through Florida.
While the storm has left the building, millions of homes are without power and the death toll continues to rise.
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As far as the Northern Lights, they “could be visible as far south as Alabama and northern California tonight.” More updates are expected as they learn more.
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