Look north if you are in the US and you may see a light show tonight in a few northern states. From the Aurora forcast map on (https://www.swpc.noaa.gov) the probability of seeing anything in California seems low. The brunt of the CME has now passed but there is still a possibility of G3 level magnetic storms. (See the scale below.) We in the USA, except for a few northern most states, do not appear to be within the view line for this aurora tonight or tomorrow. The view line is how far south you can see the aurora in the northern sky[11].
Coronal Mass Ejection
A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is a significant ejection of magnetic field and plasma mass from the Sun’s corona into the heliosphere. CMEs can eject billions of tons of coronal material and carry an embedded magnetic field, traveling at speeds ranging from slower than 250 kilometers per second to as fast as near 3000 km/s. The fastest Earth-directed CMEs can reach our planet in as little as 15-18 hours, while slower ones can take several days to arrive. CMEs can generate shock waves that accelerate charged particles, potentially causing increased radiation storm potential or intensity. Important CME parameters include size, speed, and direction, which are used to determine any Earth-impact[1][2][3].
Regarding the categories of storms related to CMEs, there are two main types: recurrent and non-recurrent storms. Recurrent storms occur every 27 days, triggered by the Earth’s encounter with the southward Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) during the solar minimum phase. Non-recurring storms, on the other hand, happen during the solar maximum phase and are caused by CMEs encountering interplanetary shock waves. Substorms, which are brief and frequent events lasting two to three hours, are also related to geomagnetic storms but are observed only in the auroral zones[5].
Geomagnetic Storm Scale
The categories of Geomagnetic Storms are classified on a scale ranging from G1 to G5, with each level indicating the intensity of the storm. Here is a breakdown of the categories:
- – G1 (Minor): G1 storms are the weakest on the scale and may lead to weak power grid fluctuations, minor impacts on satellite operations, and a good display of the Northern Lights in regions like Canada and Alaska. These conditions are estimated to occur for about 900 days per 11-year solar cycle[6][8][10].
- – G2 (Moderate): G2 storms can cause high-latitude power systems to experience voltage alarms, potential transformer damage, and fading HF radio propagation at higher latitudes. Views of the Northern Lights may extend down to the far northern reaches of the United States. G2 conditions are present for approximately 360 days during an 11-year solar cycle[6][8].
- – G3 (Strong): When storm levels reach G3, intermittent satellite navigation and low-frequency radio navigation issues may arise, along with intermittent HF radio. Voltage corrections might be necessary on power systems, and the Northern Lights can be visible as far south as Washington, Oregon, and Illinois during these conditions. G3 storms are observed around 130 days per 11-year solar cycle[6][8][10].
- – G4 (Severe): G4 storms can lead to widespread voltage control problems in power systems, surface charging and tracking issues in satellite and space operations, and degraded satellite navigation for hours. HF radio propagation becomes sporadic, and the Northern Lights may be visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California. These severe conditions occur around 60 days per 11-year solar cycle[6][8][10].
- – G5 (Extreme): Storm levels of G5 magnitude are rare but can cause widespread voltage control issues in power systems, potential grid system collapses or blackouts, transformer damage, and pipeline currents reaching hundreds of amps. HF radio propagation may be impossible in many areas for 1-2 days, and satellite navigation could be degraded for days. The Northern Lights may be visible as far south as Florida and Texas during extreme geomagnetic conditions, which occur approximately four days per 11-year solar cycle[6][8][10].
Welcome to the Heliosphere
Yes, we are in the heliosphere of the Sun. The heliosphere is a vast bubble-like region of space created by the Sun, which extends far beyond the orbits of the planets. It consists of ionized gas, particles, and magnetic fields that interact with the interplanetary environment, producing various space weather effects[20]. The heliosphere acts as a protective shield, shielding the solar system from cosmic rays and other harsh space radiation, making it crucial for the existence of life on Earth[18].
How to Get CME Alerts
To receive text alerts about Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), you can subscribe to services provided by organizations like the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of NOAA. These services offer a range of alerts, warnings, watches, and forecasts related to space weather events, including CMEs. By subscribing to their services, you can receive notifications via email or text message when CMEs are detected. Additionally, you can explore apps or platforms that specialize in providing alerts for CMEs, such as those discussed in online forums like Reddit[16].
Sign up: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
You may have better luck. All I saw was a message telling me to click a box on the form for a captcha which did not appear on the web page anywhere. Broken captchas are breaking the Internet. Perhaps this was caused by some space weather? Doubtful.
Citations
[1] https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/coronal-mass-ejections
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection
[3] https://www.space.com/coronal-mass-ejections-cme
[4] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earth-geomagnetic-storm-what-that-means-what-you-can-expect/
[5] https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/nmp/st5/SCIENCE/storms.html
[6] https://www.foxweather.com/earth-space/these-are-the-5-categories-that-measure-geomagnetic-storms
[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomagnetic_storm
[8] https://thehill.com/homenews/nexstar_media_wire/4552740-severe-geomagnetic-storm-conditions-impacting-earth-noaa-says-what-to-know/
[9] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earth-geomagnetic-storm-what-that-means-what-you-can-expect/
[10] https://spaceweather.sansa.org.za/space-weather-information/definitions/noaa-scales/297-geomagnetic-storm-scale
[11] https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/aurora-dashboard-experimental
[12] https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
[13] https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/subscription-services
[14] https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/alerts-watches-and-warnings
[15] https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1303iai/app_to_alert_for_a_cme/
[16] https://science.nasa.gov/heliophysics/focus-areas/heliosphere/
[17] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere
[18] https://www.nasa.gov/missions/ibex/studying-the-edge-of-the-suns-magnetic-bubble/
[19] https://sci.esa.int/web/ulysses/-/2576-the-heliosphere
[20] https://www.thesuntoday.org/heliosphere/
