Auroras on the Horizon! Solar Storm Sparks Spectacular Light Show on November 30th!
A solar storm caused by a coronal mass ejection (CME) hit the Earth on Sunday, resulting in a 15-hour-long event of G2-class intensity. Despite the presence of moonlight, the impact was so powerful that auroras were visible throughout most of Europe. As the Earth is still recuperating from this event, NASA models have identified another CME heading towards the southern hemisphere. This new storm is predicted to reach the Earth by November 30 and, although it is expected to be minor, early reports suggest that it will still generate auroras in high latitude regions.
Dr. Tamitha Skov, a space weather physicist, posted on X and said, “The Sun is aiming south! A #solarstorm partially directed by Earth started today. NASA and NOAA agree, a glancing blow is expected early November 30th. This is going mainly to the south of Earth, so minor effects expected #Aurora possible at high latitudes, #GPS and amateur #radio minimal impact.
A solar storm is expected on November 30
Unlike Sunday’s massive hit, this one is expected to be a small storm capable of producing auroras only at high latitudes. Skov also posted a GIF of NASA’s forecast model showing that the CME is headed south of Earth, with much of it likely to pass by the planet without touching it.
However, its northern tip may come into contact with the Earth’s southern hemisphere and trigger a solar storm. However, the fact that an effect is expected on the southern end of the planet does not mean that its effect, the aurora borealis, is also limited to the south.
In a reply to a comment on his post, Skov clarified: “No. The dynamics of the Earth’s magnetosphere ensure that the impact is global. The asymmetry of the impact causes small differences in some of the processes taking place, mostly at the leading edge of the Earth’s shield. By far the biggest effects are seen at high latitudes on the night side.”
Know the GOES-16 satellite
GOES-16, formerly known as GOES-R before it reached geostationary orbit, is the first of the GOES-R geostationary operational environmental satellites operated by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It was launched on November 19, 2016 and became operational on December 18, 2017. GOES-16 is located in geostationary orbit over the Atlantic Ocean and provides continuous images and atmospheric measurements of the Earth’s Western Hemisphere. It also has a lightning mapper that can detect both cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning. GOES-16 is an important tool for weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and space weather forecasting, including such storms.
