The northern lights illuminated Bashaw, Alberta, Canada, on August 11, 2024, as captured in a remarkable photograph by skywatcher Darlene Tanner.
This week, Earth’s auroras are being intensified by stormy solar activity, specifically a series of strong geomagnetic storms caused by recent solar flares.
On Monday, August 12, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) reported a severe G4-class geomagnetic storm that was detected at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT). This event likely enhanced northern lights displays across the United States; however, visibility was limited due to the daytime occurrence.
SWPC officials noted, “A severe geomagnetic storm includes the potential for auroras to be seen faintly as far south as Alabama and Northern California.”
By Monday afternoon, the storm downgraded to a “moderate” G2-class, making the northern lights potentially visible from as far south as the upper United States, including states like Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. NOAA expects these conditions to persist until at least Tuesday evening, August 13.
While the sight of a G2-class storm may seem less impressive given the earlier G4-class event, a weaker G1-class storm had previously created stunning auroras across the U.S. and Canada in late July.
In addition to the auroras, this week features the annual Perseid meteor shower, which peaks overnight on August 11 and 12. This event offers the unique opportunity for spectators to witness both meteors and auroras in the same night. For those interested in photographing the northern lights, resources are available to assist with the best techniques and locations.
An aurora alert map provided by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center highlights areas with increased chances of seeing auroras, marked in red and green. The geomagnetic storms originate from solar particles released during explosive coronal mass ejections linked to multiple solar flares since August 10. When these charged particles reach Earth, they are directed toward the poles by the planet’s magnetic field, where they interact with the atmosphere, resulting in the visually stunning auroras.
In the Northern Hemisphere, this captivating light display is referred to as the aurora borealis, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it is known as the aurora australis.