NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) said a G1-class geomagnetic storm would likely hit the Earth on Saturday, Jan. 15.
SWPC's most current data said the effect zone would be primarily poleward of 60 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude. Minor power grid oscillations are possible in this location on Earth. It is possible to have a minor impact on satellite operations in orbit.
The Earth may shine brighter than usual in the northern tier of the United States, including northern Michigan and Maine. As a result, the aurora may be visible at high latitudes.
Northern lights (aurora borealis) illuminate the sky over Reinfjorden in Reine, on Lofoten Islands, Arctic Circle, on September 8, 2017.
Geomagnetic Storm To Damage Electronics, Radio Communications
Weather Boy said forecasters could use data from the DSCOVER and ACE satellites to determine when a coronal hole's strong solar wind will reach Earth. They look for a few features in the data to determine when the enhanced solar wind will reach Earth.
These solar storms may inflict substantial damage to electronics, electrical networks, and satellite and radio communications, in addition to creating the spectacular aurora.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its National Weather Service (NWS) are in charge of "space weather," as well as weather predictions. The Space Weather Prediction Center serves as the official space weather alert and warnings source. However, private enterprises and other organizations monitor and forecast space weather (SWPC).
The SWPC is a service center of the National Weather Service (NWS), a division of NOAA, based in Boulder, Colorado. They are one of nine National Centers for Environmental Prediction that monitor current space weather events 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (NCEP).
How Major Geomagnetic Storm Affects People
According to History, a major geomagnetic storm struck Earth on September 1 and 2, 1859. The Solar Cycle 10 caused the "Carrington Event." The 1859 occurrence is another name for this event. When a CME hit the Earth, it caused an enormous geomagnetic storm ever recorded. Californians believed that the Sun rose early.
Because of the aurora's tremendous brilliance, people in the northeastern United States could read a newspaper at night. Because of the storm's severity, people as far south as Hawaii and south-central Mexico were able to view the aurora in the sky.
The event resulted in a severe electrical and communication line failure; telegraph networks worldwide were disrupted, and several telegraph operators were electrocuted.
Suppose the Carrington event happened in modern times; losses in the United States may exceed $2.6 trillion. That is about 15% of the country's annual GDP, according to a June 2013 study by Lloyd's of London and Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) in the United States.
RELATED ARTICLE: Massive Solar Flare Continues to Hit Earth: Flights, GPS on Red Alert But Geomagnetic Storm Does Not Affect Airline Workers, Passengers
Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.
