This would be realized if we have favorable timing with the “grand finale” CME, or coronal mass ejection — a magnetic shockwave. If it hits too early, we might only get the tail end of the geomagnetic storm at dark.
You might also catch a rogue Taurid meteor! The meteor shower doesn’t produce many meteors, but rather a few sporadic shooting stars that can be fairly bright!
Last night, the northern lights shone over most of the United States, with visible aurora as far south as north Texas, New Mexico, Georgia and the Carolinas. With another geomagnetic storm approaching and Earth’s magnetic field already perturbed, the potential exists for a high-end, and perhaps historic, geomagnetic storm.
This could rival the May 10-13, 2024 G5 geomagnetic storms! Prior to that, the previous G5 geomagnetic storms happened in 2005. This is a rare event.
Last night, the kP index – measured on a 0 through 9 scale – reached 8.67. That’s a sign of how jostled Earth’s magnetic field was as it got bombarded by solar energy. It remained at a 7 on Wednesday morning. And we think the biggest “solar storm” hasn’t even arrived yet!
The sun has emitted five X-class solar flares, the most intense kind, in the past several days. Most are emanating from sunspot 4274, a bruise-like splotch on the sun that’s throbbing and pulsating with magnetic energy.
The strongest flare was an X5 launched Tuesday morning and it has an associated CME, stronger and faster than its predecessors, that has yet to hit Earth. It was moving at close to 1,000 miles per second.
Current data suggests this CME will arrive Wednesday midday or early afternoon, though timing is uncertain. NOAA and NASA models suggest an impact around lunchtime. It’s unclear if the associated geomagnetic storm will last into the evening Eastern time. This may be GREAT timing for Europe and the eastern United States.
It will come on the heels of the two or three other CMEs which have already disturbed Earth’s magnetic field. That could once again bump us up to G4 or G5 levels.
Operators of international flights may consider rerouting planes to avoid the polar regions, where upper-atmospheric radiation will be potentially hazardous. At high latitudes, isolated power grid issues may be noticed. That probably won’t be an issue in the United States.
Apropos to timing, when you might see them depends on weather, as well as random auroral “substorms” that we can’t predict more than 40 minutes in advance. Check back for updates!
Skywatchers across the United States, Canada and most of Europe should keep their eyes on the sky Wednesday night.
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