The most powerful solar storm has occurred, allowing beautiful auroras to be observed even in non-polar regions for about 21 years.
According to CNN on the 12th (local time), the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that active solar activities since the 10th have led to the observation of auroras in various parts of the United States, excluding the south. Northern lights were also spotted in regions outside the U.S., including Germany, Switzerland, China, the U.K., Spain, and more.
The recent increase in aurora observations worldwide is due to heightened solar activity from a sunspot toward Earth.
The number of sunspots fluctuates approximately every 11.2 years, and during each cycle, an average of 100 severe geomagnetic storms occur. Recently, the most powerful G5-grade geomagnetic storm occurred, the first time a G5-grade geomagnetic storm has hit the Earth since October 2003.
When a Coronal mass ejection (CME), similar to a volcanic eruption, occurs on the sun’s surface, plasma particles carrying powerful energy are released into space. Auroras are the phenomena of these charged particles entering the Earth, reacting with air molecules, and discharging light.
With auroras being observed outside the polar regions, photos verifying the phenomenon have been actively shared online. The night sky’s auroras were visible in Vancouver, Canada, Pittsburgh, U.S., and Mont Saint-Michel, France.
However, observing the aurora in Korea, which has a low latitude territorial feature, is difficult. Around 2 a.m. on the 12th, a post was made on an astronomy-related online cafe, claiming that an aurora was observed in Hwacheon, Gangwon-do, but it was unclear or widespread as in other countries.
At 1:23 a.m. on the 11th Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the solar flare peaked at X5.8 class (the most powerful grade, equivalent to one million times the power of a nuclear weapon). The SWPC stated that some areas experienced temporary or complete loss of radio signals due to the powerful flare’s impact on Earth’s magnetic field.
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