While parts of the Midwest have been treated to rare aurora borealis over the past year thanks to far-reaching geomagnetic storms, a forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that the coming months could bring more views of the aurora borealis in the region.
NOAA predicts a “solar maximum” in the coming months, or the highest solar activity during the Sun’s 11-year solar cycle.
This means that more solar storms, best known for lighting up the night skies of Alaska and Iceland, could once again go well beyond their normal range, such as when the aurora borealis seen in southern US in May 2024.
During a solar maximum, more frequent and intense flares are emitted from the sun’s sizzling outer atmosphere, causing the geomagnetic storms that create the amazing displays.
The coronal mass ejections, or large ejections of plasma and magnetized particles from the Sun’s corona, can also disrupt Earth’s magnetic field and GPS systems.
In May, operators of power plants and orbiting spacecraft were advised to take precautions in advance as the G4 geomagnetic storm posed a risk to power lines and satellites, which in turn could disrupt navigation and communications.
But all over the world, people sat back and watched as darkness descended and amazing displays of light appeared.
NOAA expects the solar maximum in solar cycle 25 to peak between November 2024 and March 2026, with solar flux units, which measure spectral flux density, at their highest levels in more than 20 years.
Although activity is expected to peak in the coming months, there is no guarantee that we will see another event similar to it Corn geomagnetic storm G5.
Only three other “severe” geomagnetic storms, classified as G4, have been reported in the past five years. The last “extreme” event, a G5 storm, occurred around Halloween 2003, which resulted in blackouts in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa.
The most intense solar storm in history, in 1859, caused auroras in Central America and possibly Hawaii.
More information about the NOAA predictions can be found here.