On the night of September 1-2, a powerful geomagnetic storm is going to hit Earth, which might cause auroras to show up in temperate and even southern latitudes. This was reported by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The source of the approaching storm is sunspot cluster 4199. On August 30, it produced an M2.7-class flare. Due to its long duration, it was accompanied by the formation of a powerful coronal mass ejection, which is currently moving towards Earth. When the ejection reaches our planet, it will cause disturbances in the magnetosphere. According to scientists’ calculations, this will happen on the night of September 1 to 2.
According to the current NOAA forecast, the upcoming storm will be a G3 (strong). It may cause disruptions to radio communications, radio, and satellites. The most visible manifestation of the storm will be the auroras. Given the strength of the storm and the fact that our planet is close to the equinox (a configuration that contributes to the strengthening of auroras), they can be observed in temperate latitudes.
There is also a possibility that the upcoming storm will be even stronger than expected and reach class G4. This will occur if the coronal ejection manages to “catch up” with the weaker ejection produced 15 hours earlier. If they merge, it will result in an even stronger impact on the Earth’s magnetosphere. In this case, the auroras can be observed even in southern latitudes.
To see the auroras, you need to be outside the city, away from urban light pollution. Due to the extreme unpredictability of when they will appear, it is recommended to monitor the geomagnetic activity index. To do this, you can follow the NOAA website, the websites of observatories with the appropriate equipment (for example, Kiruna in Sweden), or chat rooms and groups of astronomy enthusiasts who collect all the necessary information.
