Solar flares may cause faint auroras across top of Northern Hemisphere

[October 05, 2024]  By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN

NEW YORK (AP) — Solar storms may cause faint northern lights across fringes of the northern United States over the weekend as forecasters monitor for possible disruptions to power and communications.

The sun’s magnetic field is currently at the peak of its 11-year cycle, making solar storms and northern lights more frequent. The sun shot out two strong flares this week, including one Thursday that was the biggest since 2017.  

This photo provided by NASA, taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, shows a solar flare, the bright flash in the center of the image on Oct. 3, 2024. (Solar Dynamics Observatory/NASA via AP)

Pale auroras may be visible as far south as South Dakota, Iowa and New York — but the storms could still intensify or weaken over the weekend.

“There's still a fair amount of uncertainty," Erica Grow Cei, spokesperson for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Friday.

Unusually strong solar storms in May produced jaw-dropping aurora displays across the Northern Hemisphere. This week's storms featured fewer ejections of the high energy plasma that can drive a light show, according to NOAA.

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