The second most powerful solar flare in past few years erupted Tuesday. That means there is a chance Southeast Michigan could see the northern lights this week, though not likely to be as vibrant as what we saw back in May.
Geomagnetic storms are caused by explosions on the Sun’s surface which sends huge amounts of plasma shooting into space and eventually into Earth’s atmosphere. The solar flare that erupted today is from an area of the sun known for numerous sunspots. The area is called “Active Region 3842” and was rated an x7.1. Flares are rated on a severity scale just like hurricanes and tornadoes. B-class are the weakest and x-class the strongest. So, this flare is quite powerful. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a watch with a minor storm expected to hit Thursday Oct 3 and a stronger geomagnetic storm to hit Friday October 4th. That’s the night you might want to grab your phone and snap some pics of the night sky. If we can the Northern Lights, keyword “if,” you will likely not be able to see it with the naked eye.
The Earth’s two equinoxes bring an increase in geomagnetic storm frequency due to a phenomenon known as the Russel-McPherron effect. The alignment of the Earth’s magnetosphere and the Sun’s magnetic field become aligned. This prevents charged particles of the Sun from being deflected away from Earth as they often do during the solstices.
Geomagnetic storms are incredibly difficult to predict. But Thursday and Friday we will have a better idea of the timing and strength of the Northern Lights here in Southeast Michigan.