A significant geomagnetic storm similar to one that brought widespread auroras to unusual locations in May may bring the Northern Lights to the Chicago area, with numerous sightings reported throughout much of the Eastern United States.
The G4 geomagnetic storm is impacting the Earth right now, with the phenomenon caused by a significant coronal mass ejection that began affecting Earth's atmosphere Thursday morning, with the effects possibly continuing for at least two days.
In fact, the storm is so strong that if skies are clear on Thursday night, the Northern Lights could be seen as far south as Alabama and northern California, and could be visible overhead throughout the state of Illinois.
The Northern Lights are generally visible only at higher latitudes, but instances like this week’s geomagnetic storm can cause those particles to be visible across greater distances.
The latest update from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center shows the Chicago area and much of Illinois with the possibility to see the phenomenon.
The best chance to see the lights will be until approximately 10 p.m., though the lights may remain visible through many of the overnight hours.
Fluctuations in the number of solar particles hitting Earth's atmosphere is difficult to predict, according to officials, but the effects of the CME could stick around for several days.
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Though the lights may be visible with the naked eye, pictures taken with digital cameras may make auroras more visible.
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A consequence of the solar storm could be impacted communications, which could hinder rescue efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. According to officials, systems that “depend on low-Earth orbit satellites or high-frequence communication” could be interrupted, along with GPS navigation systems.
There are tools to help mitigate those issues, and FEMA has infrastructure in place to help prevent the worst impacts, according to the SWPC.
The Northern Lights are enhanced when coronal mass ejections, or CME’s, erupt from the sun and speed across space before hitting Earth’s atmosphere. According to the SWPC, CME’s are “large explosions of plasma and magnetized particles from the Sun’s corona.” Those ejections expand in size as they approach Earth’s atmosphere, and can cause geomagnetic storms when they arrive.
The Northern Lights occur when those charged particles hit Earth’s magnetic field, interacting with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere and producing brilliant and wavy colors in the sky.
