The aurora borealis lighting up night skies across the United States is shaping up to be a multi-day, free music festival for the eyes, likely returning Saturday and Sunday and possibly next week, federal forecasters say.
In addition to the United States, sightings have also been reported in Germany, Switzerland, China, the United Kingdom, and Spain. Not bad timing for viewers, but aurora watchers may have to stay awake until the last hour to get the best view.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters say the geomagnetic storm activity underlying the auroral outbursts is likely to fully recover by Sunday. The center’s latest forecast indicates that geomagnetic storm activity affecting the Earth could occur from Monday into Tuesday.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said in a forecast statement that a “severe and extreme” geomagnetic storm is likely.
Matthias Bain/AP
The center said the storm is causing a massive solar flare in the sunspot region facing Earth. The Earth’s magnetic influence is likely to continue until that part of the sun rotates away from us.
The center’s forecast on Saturday called for “severe storm levels” on Sunday, “active to severe storm levels” on Monday, and “moderate to minor storm levels” on Tuesday. He said it was expected.
Solar activity accelerates the electrons toward Earth, where they eventually collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere. Collisions with gases from the upper atmosphere create the spectacular colors of the aurora sky.
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Viewing areas and viewing times in the United States
This phenomenon is rarely seen in the United States, and when it is, it is usually from people at the northern tip of the continent. However, due to the intensity of the geomagnetic storm, the observation area moved further south this weekend. Sighting information In Louisiana, AlabamaMississippi.
The dominance of the dark new moon that began on May 7th may clear the stage for the aurora to shine again. According to NASA, the moon will be about one-fifth full this weekend. But federal weather forecasters said global storm activity is expected to bring rain from Kansas to Texas on Sunday, and observation may not be as easy as in the past.
Experts say the best viewing time is usually just on either side of midnight, between 10pm and 2am. Saturday night and Sunday night seem to be show nights, and Monday viewing seems possible, if not possible.
Since Friday, there have been at least three measurements of the strength of G5 as a magnetic storm on a scale of 1 to 5, making G5 “extreme” energetically, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center.
Center spokesman Brian Brasher said the measurements show this is the most powerful geomagnetic storm to impact Earth since 2003’s Halloween Storm.
“A lot of energy is being fed into the Earth’s fields,” he said.
If forecasts are correct, Sunday’s solar storm activity could match this.
rebecca coen and Associated Press contributed.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
