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A massive solar storm slammed into the Earth yesterday, leading to spectacular views of the aurora borealis across North America, and the storm will continue through the rest of the weekend.
The geomagnetic storm was rated a G4 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which is the second-highest rating a storm can get. However, scientists think that the storms could possibly escalate into a G5 event. The latest strong storm was back in March, and it was also rated a G4. The last time a G5 struck Earth was all the way back in October 2003, which were coined the Halloween Solar Storms.
Solar storms can affect voltage controls, and grid systems can blackout or even completely collapse. Transformers, radios, satellites, and power lines may also be damaged due to the waves of plasma coming out of the Sun.
At first, NOAA issued a geomagnetic storm watch after some massive bursts of plasma from the Sun, which are called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These huge waves that erupt from the surface of the Sun blast towards Earth, and the aurora borealis occurs when the CMEs hit the planet's magnetic field. This disruption causes a beautiful array of colors in the night sky. This, combined with strong solar flare activity, is contributing to the especially powerful storm hitting Earth this May.
This weekend, five CMEs are all slamming into Earth at once, resulting in a huge G4, maybe G5 storm that is creating a show for millions of citizens and a nuisance for power companies. Citizens have been treated to auroras as far south as Northern California in the west and Alabama, Georgia, and Florida in the Deep South. However, infrastructure companies are on the lookout for damages to their power grids, and radios are already experiencing issues.
If you live in one of the areas that could see an aurora this weekend, try and get to a dark location with as low light pollution as possible. Auroras aren't usually visible with the naked eye, so try turning on the night mode feature on your phone camera and increase the exposure to view the colors more vividly. Good luck aurora hunting!
Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): In real life, only a quarter of the Sahara Desert is covered in sand. The rest is mostly gravel and rocks.
Quote of the Day: I recommend you take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves. (Earl of Chesterfield)
Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Bogart (verb) - To bogart something is to use or consume it without sharing.
In a Sentence: Nelson advised his friends not to bogart all the snacks before the rest of the party guests arrived.
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