The good news is that for us here on Earth, and especially in Canada, it means a geomagnetic storm and an increased chance of catching the northern lights.
While the sun is always active, it has an 11-year cycle with minimum and maximum activity. During the solar maximum – which we just started – more sunspots can be seen all over the sun.
These sunspots are cooler areas that look black when viewed through solar telescopes. But it’s more than just a little black spot in the sun: these Areas are a magnetic field entanglement that can sometimes explode with a solar flare. And very often, they are followed by a coronal mass ejection, a huge explosion of charged particles carried along the solar wind.
This image shows many groups of sunspots all over the sun on Wednesday. The sun is in the Solar Circle 25 and has just begun to become more active. (NASA / Solar Dynamics Observatory)
If the Earth is in the path of these charged particles, they can interact with our own magnetic field and then with molecules in the upper atmosphere, which then gives us the northern lights or the northern lights.
Currently, there are seven groups of sunspots all over the surface of the sun. On Tuesday, NASA recorded that one of the teams fired more than 17 flares, ranging from weak to moderate events. And, as a result, two large CMEs were sewn out of the sun, traveling at about 1,500 kilometers per second.
CLOCKS Solar flares erupt on the surface of the sun from March 28 to 30
Coronary cannula mass ejection
This NASA animation shows what they refer to as a “cannibal corona mass ejection,” a blast of fast-moving particles from the sun. Credits: NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab 0:22
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposes that the second CME surpass the first, merging to become a single “CME CME”. It is expected to reach Earth around 11 p.m. ET on Thursday.
But there can be several days of increased activity.
About 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, the sun released an X-class flare. X flares are the most powerful type and are usually measured in the range of one to nine, although more powerful have been recorded throughout history.
A punch 1.2! Our Sun targets the Earth in sequence pic.twitter.com/5290hGBhTA
– @ TamithaSkov
How to see it
However, it is important to remember that the sun does not always play well with forecasts. CME could arrive sooner or later. It may also not interact as strongly with our magnetic field as they anticipate.
But with that said, be sure to watch out for the northern lights for the next two days.
CLOCKS What Happens During a “Cannibal Coronary Mass Launch”
This video from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory shows several solar flares (peak center). These flares were accompanied by two eruptions of crown mass directed towards the Earth. Credit: NASA / SDO 0:20
While places in northern Canada such as Yellowknife, Whitehorse or Fort Smith, NWT often see the northern lights, strong thunderstorms such as this one are predicted to mean that areas much further south may be able to see them as well.
For those in places like Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal, the lights may seem closer to the horizon, so it is important to reach an area away from the city lights with a good view of the northern skyline. Going further north increases your chances.
If you want to try to find out how likely you are to catch the Northern Lights, you can check it out. NASA Space Weather Forecast Center Website.
They provide a scale called Kp Index, which measures geomagnetic activity on a scale from zero to 10. For cities like Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg, a Kp index of four – or even a few times lower – means you will probably be able to see the northern lights. But for cities like Toronto and Vancouver, you’ll need a higher index, probably closer to six or seven.
Experienced saddle hunter Chris Ratzlaff, who helps manage the Alberta Aurora Chasers team on Facebook, has created a visibility map for the Kp Index across Canada. (Submitted by Chris Ratzlaff)
You can also see sites like Spaceweather.com and Spaceweatherlive.com.
You can also try setting up a camera to photograph the northern lights, as the cameras are more sensitive to the human eye. Try a 15-second exposure using ISO 1600 at f / 4 or lower.
