There might be more Northern Lights sightings in the UK this week thanks to one more solar flare today (Tuesday, May 14). Sunspot AR3664, an active region of the sun, released another colossal solar flare on Tuesday, May 14, churning out substantial bursts of energy and radiation into space.
Space Weather Prediction Center, based in the US, says: “CME [coronal mass ejection] influence is anticipated on May 14 (UTC day).” They add it may be visible across the USA at the moment, while it is dark there but light in the UK. If this continues throughout the rest of the day, it may be visible in some parts of the UK tonight.
READ MORE: How to get phone notifications for the Northern Lights in the UK
CMEs are eruptions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun’s corona that, when directed towards our planet, can lead to geomagnetic storms.
The science news platform Space Today noted: “This time a long duration M6.6 flare, resulting in a full and rapid halo CME. Most of the CME is directed SW, with a component directed toward Earth. Impact is expected on May 15.”
An M6.6 solar flare falls under the category of a moderately strong solar flare and has the capability to trigger radio blackouts particularly on higher frequencies utilised by commercial airliners and amateur radio operators. It can also possibly create minor interference to satellite operations and navigational systems, reports Wales Online.
However, according to blog EarthSky, this fresh burst from the Sun might not bring such a severe impact on Earth as was seen over the weekend. Still, it shared that “at least G3 (moderate) geomagnetic storming is in the forecast”, signifying potential for noteworthy displays of aurora if the conditions turn out favourably.
The Sun’s activity was observed by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft. Its mission is to study the Sun’s dynamics to “increase understanding of the nature and sources of solar variability”. SDO documents the outer atmosphere of the Sun – called the corona – as well as hot flare plasma.
