Elevated geomagnetic storm levels could carry over into Nov. 14, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said on Wednesday (Nov. 12), issuing a severe G4 geomagnetic storm watch for Nov. 12 and a strong G3 warning for Nov 13.
This means the aurora borealis or the Northern Lights could be visible across most of the northern half of the country, including New Jersey, NOAA said in a statement.
The aurora is created when the particles from the sun interact with Earth’s magnetic field.
Northern Lights Across New Jersey
People viewed the aurora borealis as far south as Alabama and Northern California on Tuesday night (Nov. 11). In New Jersey, there were impressive photos on social media, where natural light is lower. Cape May and other shore locations reported colorful skies, and High Point and Sussex County also reported great displays.
The best time to see the aurora is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., and the best locations are anywhere away from bright lights on the ground.
Geomagnetic Storm Warnings
While solar flares bring colorful lights to Earth, the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (NOAA SWPC) warned that the storms could disrupt infrastructure and satellites. Space weather can also interfere with air traffic control and GPS communications.
“These Watches are in response to potential geomagnetic storm effects related to coronal mass ejections (CME) that have erupted from the Sun over the past several days. These events include CME activity from 9 November through the early morning of 12 November,” NOAA said.
The most recent CME occurred early on Nov. 11 and is the most energetic and fastest of the CMEs and was associated with an X5.1 solar flare (R3; Strong) that peaked at 5:04 a.m. EST on Nov.11. This CME is also associated with a moderate level solar radiation storm (S2) that is currently in progress.
The intensity of the CME will not be known with better certainty until it arrives 1 million miles from Earth and is observed by the solar wind observatories at that location. It is at that point that SWPC forecasters can make any needed Warning decisions, NOAA said.
Has This Happened Before?
Auroras were first observed as far south as Hawaii in 1859, setting telegraph lines on fire, PBS reported. A 1972 solar storm “may have detonated magnetic U.S. sea mines off the coast of Vietnam.”
A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots. These solar flares are part of an estimated 11-year solar cycle, weather experts said. There is the potential for major disruptions to modern electrical grids, satellites, and communication systems.