Major Solar Storm Expected to Bring Auroras to Southern Skies

Updated: May 10, 2024, 7:27 pm

A Powerful Blast From the Sun Sets Off a Geomagnetic Storm

A dramatic blast from the sun triggered a geomagnetic storm in Earth's atmosphere on Friday, sparking predictions of auroras visible as far south as the United States and Europe. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center anticipates that this latest storm will induce auroras visible at latitudes as low as Pennsylvania and Oregon.

Updated Predictions from Solar Scientists

According to the latest forecast from the World Data Center for the Sunspot Index and Long-term Solar Observations (SILSO) at the Royal Observatory of Belgium, the peak of Solar Cycle 25's activity, known as solar maximum, is now expected to occur between January and October 2024. This revised prediction slightly adjusts the previous forecast, which placed solar maximum between 2023 and 2026.