Yesterdays Solar Flare and the Suns Position Could Push Aurora Activity Into Oklahoma This Weekend
Beverly Cantrell - October 29, 2021 4:13 pm
A strong solar flare in the Sun’s southern hemisphere yesterday could push aurora activity as far south as Oklahoma this weekend.
Try looking across the northern horizon a couple hours before sunrise on Saturday, if you are north of the green line on the graphic.
There is a chance visibility could extend into Saturday evening or even Halloween night.
A large solar flare erupted Thursday and is set to reach Earth Saturday, which could result in a strong geomagnetic storm and cause the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, to be visible across the US and Europe.
NOAA issued a G3, or “strong” geomagnetic storm watch, for Saturday and Sunday ahead of the flare slamming into the Earth. The scale for geomagnetic storms runs from G1, or minor storm, to G5, an extreme storm.
This geomagnetic storm could cause voltage irregularities and false alarms on some protection devices, NOAA warns. It also could cause high frequency radio blackouts and loss of radio contact on the sunlit side of the earth.
The most visible effect from the impending geomagnetic storm is it will likely supercharge the aurora borealis, making it visible across large parts of the US and Europe.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute Aurora Forecast indicates, weather permitting, the Northern Lights could be visible from Portland Oregon to New York City. It may also be visible on the horizon as far south as Carson City, Nevada, Oklahoma City, and Raleigh, North Carolina.
In Europe, the forecast shows, weather permitting, the aurora borealis may be visible overhead from across Norway, Sweden and Finland, and even as far south as Scotland and St. Petersburg, Russia.
