Major Solar Storm Hits Earth: Northern Lights Expected to Appear in Britain's Night Sky This Week

The UK's weather service Met Office said that an intense solar storm could mean that the Northern Lights will be seen from the country this week. Those who live further north have better chances of getting a glimpse of the dancing night skylights.

The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are created when a flow of particles from the sun during a solar storm causes disturbances to Earth's magnetosphere. The Met said that the current solar storm came from a coronal mass ejection (CME), a massive expulsion of plasma from the corona.

(Photo : Pixabay/Hans)
Major Solar Storm Hits Earth: Northern Lights Expected to Appear in Britain's Night Sky This Week

G3 Solar Storm Signal Warning

The Earth's magnetosphere protects the planet from harmful charged particles from the Sun. In recent weeks, the sunspot activity has been getting stronger.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US has already issued a G3 warning for April 10 after a strong solar storm hits Earth that may affect power systems and spacecraft operations. NOAA said that the G3-level geomagnetic storm was detected at 1:10 am EDT (6:10 am BST) on April 10.

Meanwhile, MailOnline reported that those in the northern hemisphere should expect an auroral activity due to the solar storm from Sunday to Tuesday. The Met says that enhancements in the auroral oval are possible in the next few days.

It can be visible in Scotland during clear skies, as well as in some parts of northern England and Northern Ireland. However, the auroral oval could gradually decline later on April 11 and 12 as Northern Lights sightings become less likely. Meanwhile, aurora in the southern hemisphere will likely be under clear skies on the night of April 10 to 11 and will also decline by April 12.

Solar Activity Exceeds Existing Predictions

Official predictions suggest that the current solar cycle would be mild. However, there has been a gap between the prediction and the actual activity of the Sun, particularly its sunspots that are getting wider. NOAA and other weather agencies predict that solar activity is way higher than the values they previously calculated.

According to Science Alert, sunspot counts have been consistently higher than scientists predicted since September 2020, when they only predicted 115 sunspots during the peak of the 25th Solar cycle.

However, the number of sunspots for the last 18 months has already reached 61, and there are still three years more before the solar maximum. It is the time when the greatest solar activity happens during the 11-year solar cycle.

It means that Earth could experience some pretty spectacular solar storms due to solar flare eruptions and coronal mass ejections on the Sun. Solar storms can cause communication blackouts, power grid fluctuations, and spectacular auroras far from their usual spot on the poles.

But until the solar maximum, scientists could not determine yet what would happen then. Nonetheless, scientists believe it will be a fascinating and spectacular event.