A breathtaking aurora borealis show was caused by a solar flare that made a "direct hit" on Earth last Tuesday. The lovely lights might continue this week as experts forecast upcoming geomagnetic storms might interfere with GPS and radio systems.
The storm gained attention over the weekend as Dr. Tamitha Skov revealed she had seen a "snake-like filament" traveling toward the Earth's striking zone on Friday.
Earlier this month, Skov warned on Twitter that a solar flare was on its way. However, after a few days, the flare seemed to have broken out.
She stated that a solar storm was on its way to Earth and would likely impact the magnetic field. Skov projected that the geomagnetic storm would interfere with GPS and radio transmissions.
Disruption of Earth's Magnetic Field Sent Auroras Toward the Equator 41,000 Years Ago
Solar Storm Caused Auroras in Northern America
Several reports mentioned that auroras were visible as early as last week, just before the storm arrived. The magnificent lights radiated gorgeous electric purples and greens, filling the northern skies.
Aurora displays could be seen in Seattle as the northern lights danced throughout Washington state early Tuesday morning, Patch added. Based on the post of another netizen from South Dakota, the state was also treated with an incredible light show
Skov's prediction mentioned that conditions are still ideal for aurora displays throughout the coming week in mid-latitude states, including Oregon, northern California, Wyoming, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina. The solar storm's second and third rounds might affect Earth on Wednesday and Thursday, perhaps causing auroras.
"There have been several CME [coronal mass ejections] eruptions the last few days (solar storms) but there is also a Coronal Hole (the black hole like structures) which is center disk," Space weather operations specialist Mike Cook told DailyMail.com.
"We should see impacts from that in the next 2-3 days," Cook added.
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Solar Storm Expected to Continue This Week
Experts said there is still a solar storm forming near Earth, potentially interfering with radio and satellite communications. Bright auroras are also being produced by the coronal mass ejections (CME) that are triggering the bursts.
According to SpaceWeather, a burst of highly charged particles emitted by the sun last week may affect satellite and radio communications. The website added that a slow-moving CME might strike Earth's magnetic field on July 20 or 21, which might cause minor G1-class geomagnetic storms.
Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also confirmed per Daily Mail that a G1-Class asteroid is predicted to hit Earth between Thursday and Friday.
When a prominence dropped from the sun, Dr. Sebastian Voltmer claimed to have seen the storm with his own "small" telescope while speaking with SpaceWeather.
"It was spectacular to see a very fast moving part of it ejecting and detaching to the side," Voltmer told SpaceWeather (via 9News.com.au).
High-latitude sky watchers are advised by SpaceWeather to be on the lookout for stunning auroras as the geomagnetic activity produces strong light displays across the sky.
Data also indicates that on Tuesday, a rift in the Earth's magnetic field allowed solar winds to enter the magnetosphere, which protects humans from dangerous solar and cosmic particles.
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