The northern United States may have an opportunity to view the aurora borealis tonight into Friday morning, Oct. 9, due to enhanced solar activity. A coronal mass ejection (CME), a significant burst of charged particles and magnetic field from the sun, departed the sun earlier this week and is now bound for Earth.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued a moderate Geomagnetic Storm Watch, anticipating the arrival of the CME. A geomagnetic storm occurs when there is a substantial exchange of energy between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere. The CME is associated with a moderate solar flare.
While much of the solar activity is expected to be minor, there is a possibility of moderate storm activity. The UK Met Office has indicated a slight chance of G3-level geomagnetic storm activity, which is considered strong.
According to the SWPC, the solar activity could cause minor disruptions to technological infrastructure, though these are expected to be manageable. On the positive side, the aurora borealis, a natural light display caused by electrically charged solar particles interacting with Earth's atmosphere, could be visible in regions not typically known for experiencing it.
The SWPC alert suggests that auroras may be seen as far south as New York, Wisconsin, and Washington state. The visibility of the auroras will depend on the precise timing of the CME's arrival, cloud cover, and the magnetic orientation of the CME.
Another CME, linked to a smaller solar flare, is also traveling toward Earth and is expected to have a less significant impact, described as a "glancing blow," over the weekend. Conditions are expected to remain unsettled to active over the next few days due to this ongoing solar weather.