NASA has announced that this week might give some lucky UK residents a fresh chance to spot the Northern Lights, with potential radio disruptions due to a moderate geomagnetic storm approaching Earth’s atmosphere. A solar flare has led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to issue an alert about possible disruptions expected this week, with the UK possibly getting a glimpse starting today, July 24.
The Met Office weighed in, saying: “Two Coronal Mass Ejections feature in the forecast, giving a peak chance of Strong Geomagnetic Storm (G3) conditions on Wednesday 24 July. This may result in auroral displays down to Northern Ireland, northern England and similar geomagnetic latitudes, albeit impeded by the near-full moon and limited hours of darkness.”
Back in May, Londoners got a rare glimpse of the Northern Lights from the South of England. While there’s no guarantee of a sighting this time around, keen aurora enthusiasts are encouraged to keep checking the AuroraWatch UK website for news of geomagnetic activity.
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According to SpaceWeatherLive, we’re looking at a Level 6 storm, which is pretty significant given that the scale tops out at nine. The storm’s current climax is anticipated for Wednesday into Thursday, but keep your eyes peeled as these predictions could shift with the storm’s progression.
The NOAA also suggests a strong chance of witnessing the Northern Lights from tomorrow. The NOAA has warned that weak power grid fluctuations are possible and noted that the Aurora might be visible at high latitudes. Back in December, NASA’s telescopes caught the largest solar flare seen in years, reports Bristol Live.
NOAA scientists declared it the most substantial flare since 2017, with the accompanying radio burst impacting even higher frequencies. Shawn Dahl from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center announced on Friday that a combination of factors has led to one of the largest solar radio events ever recorded.
Pilots across the country have reported communication disruptions due to this event, according to the space weather forecasting centre. Scientists are currently keeping a close eye on this sunspot region, analysing it for a potential plasma outburst from the sun, also known as a coronal mass ejection, which could be directed at Earth.
This could trigger a geomagnetic storm, Dahl explained, which could in turn disrupt high-frequency radio signals at higher latitudes and potentially cause northern lights, or auroras, in the coming days.
Solar flares are significant eruptions of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun that can last from minutes to hours. These sudden bursts of electromagnetic energy travel at the speed of light, meaning any effect on the sunlit side of Earth’s exposed outer atmosphere happens simultaneously with the event being observed.
The increased level of X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation results in ionisation in the lower layers of the ionosphere on the sunlit side of Earth.
Solar flares typically occur in active regions, which are areas on the Sun characterised by strong magnetic fields, usually associated with sunspot groups. As these magnetic fields evolve, they can reach a point of instability and release energy in various forms, including electromagnetic radiation, observed as solar flares.
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