The Weather Network Search Multiple Solar Storms May Trigger Auroras Across Canada

After a series of flares and solar storms over the past four days, a geomagnetic storm is in effect for the evening of Friday, August 19. Credit: NOAA SWPC NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said it expects the potential impact of numerous coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on Earth’s magnetic field on Thursday and Friday. While each of these was expected to have only a small effect on its own, they explained, the cumulative effect was likely to increase geomagnetic activity. In addition, a fast stream of the solar wind, known as the coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS), is currently sweeping the Earth. Fast-moving particles in a CH HSS can trigger auroras on their own as they interact with the Earth’s magnetic field. With the current sweeping past us at a time when the magnetic field is already “ringing” from the effects of CMEs, there is a chance that geomagnetic storm activity will increase to even higher levels. Geomagnetic storms can cause problems with spacecraft and satellites and possibly even fluctuations in power grids on the ground. However, they also spark vivid displays of the Northern Lights in our night sky.

We will see that;

The Northern Lights are typically only limited to arctic regions. However, depending on the strength of the geomagnetic storm, the aurora belt can push far to the south. Reasonably clear skies are essential for aurora viewing. Based on the cloud forecast (shown above), the best areas to see any displays tonight are Alberta, Saskatchewan and perhaps southwestern Ontario. On the map, the auroras are now expected to be visible as far south as between the green (Kp=5) and yellow (Kp=7) lines.

WATCH OUT: This Alberta duo is famous for their Northern Lights magic

What has happened so far?

As of Friday morning, it appears that CME impacts and the high-speed flow effects of the coronal hole did not combine as expected. As a result, while geomagnetic activity was elevated, it only reached G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm levels overnight. The graph on the left shows the average activity of the Earth’s magnetic field, in 3-hour increments. Green bars indicate low activity, yellow bars represent small disturbances, and red lines indicate some level of geomagnetic storm. While activity peaked at G2 (moderate) levels on Wednesday night, it peaked at G1 (minor) on Thursday night. During each 3-hour block, brief periods of greater activity may have occurred. At right, the maximum predicted auroral extent over Canada occurred around 12:30 AM. EDT on Friday, but didn’t get as far south as expected. Credit: NOAA SWPC/Scott Sutherland The strength of a geomagnetic storm depends on many factors. When we encounter a high-speed jet with a coronal hole, its effect depends on the conditions along its leading edge (known as the co-rotating interaction region, or CIR). The greater the density of particles along this front, the stronger its effects will be as it sweeps past Earth’s magnetic field. For coronal mass ejections, cloud density, particle energy, and cloud velocity all play a role. The cloud also carries its own magnetic field, and the direction the magnetic field points (north or south) is important for geomagnetic and auroral activity. If the field points north—the same direction as Earth’s magnetic field—much of the cloud will be deflected around the planet and thus have a reduced impact. On the other hand, a CME with a southerly magnetic field will have a much more significant effect, possibly triggering much higher geomagnetic activity. Data from NOAA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) show that the direction of the magnetic field swung wildly between north and south during the early evening hours of Thursday. It then changed to a mostly northerly direction for the rest of the night. Real-time solar wind data from the DSCOVR satellite reveal conditions in the near-Earth environment from 16Z (noon EDT) Thursday to 15Z (11 a.m. EDT) Friday. The top row shows the direction of the magnetic field, which swung north and south until midnight Friday. It then pointed mostly north, which would reduce geomagnetic activity. Credit: NOAA SWPC/Scott Sutherland According to the NOAA SWPC: “We expect these disturbances to last through Friday and Saturday, mostly at a small to moderate level. This will keep the aurora active but at a higher latitude than yesterday.” Stay tuned for updates.

What is happening here?

Solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms are different parts of what we call space weather. Solar flares are bursts of energy from the surface of the Sun. Look at a sunspot with the right camera filter and you will see that they are surrounded by bright “corona rings”. These loops look so bright because they have tons and tons of magnetized solar matter swirling around them. The more chaotic and tangled these loops are, the more likely they are to suddenly and violently unravel and create new, simpler connections. When this happens, a significant amount of energy can be released, and this is what we call a solar flare. While most flares are weak, like the A, B and C-class, we start to pay attention when we see the M-class and especially the incredibly powerful X-class flares. Sometimes, as a solar flare explodes, it can also cause an explosion of matter from the Sun’s surface, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME) or ‘solar storm’. These form in clouds of charged solar plasma that expand into space from the site of the solar flare, passing through the normal flow of particles from the Sun that we call the ‘solar wind’. With the chaotic jumble of magnetic fields that permeate the Sun’s surface, at times, persistent openings—”corona holes”—can form that produce faster currents of the solar wind. This artist’s impression shows the various aspects of space weather, including the last 400 years of the Sun’s 11-year solar cycles, all in one graphic. Credit: NASA A geomagnetic storm occurs when the Earth’s geomagnetic field – created by the molten metal in the planet’s core – experiences some kind of disturbance. This is usually due to changes in the solar wind or a coronal hole with a high-speed stream sweeping past us. Occasionally (and more often towards the ‘peak’ of a solar cycle), we see these disturbances due to an encounter with a coronal mass ejection. The disturbance causes fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field, and some of the solar particles that pass us by are trapped in the field and pulled into the Earth’s atmosphere. Since these particles carry a significant amount of energy, when they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules in our atmosphere, they transfer some of that energy in the process. Atoms and molecules then reject this energy, emitting it as flashes of colored light. These flashes are what we see during the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis displays, also known as the Northern and Southern Lights. Different types and color combinations of saddles are shown here. Red and green are emitted by oxygen, while blue and pink are produced by nitrogen. Arcs and pillars (Tobias Bjørkli/PIXELS), Bands and Rays (GETTY), Corona (CBC), Rays and Pillars (AuroraMax/CSA), Patches and STEVE (Team Tanner) Aurora displays are harmless wonders, appearing between 100-400 km above our heads. However, space weather has its dangers. Intense solar flares bombard the planet’s upper atmosphere with X-rays, resulting in prolonged radio blackouts. Astronauts on the International Space Station take refuge in armored spacecraft until such an explosion subsides. Also, satellites and spacecraft in orbit can experience electrical problems during geomagnetic storms. Extremely strong geomagnetic storms can even cause electrical blackouts on the ground. This artist’s rendering shows the extent of the 1989 Quebec Blackout, caused by an intense geomagnetic storm. Credit: NASA No danger is expected from this week’s space weather. However, power grid operators could see problems with our systems on the ground as the strength of the geomagnetic storm increases. Image thumbnail provided by Alberta aurora hunters Tree and Dar Tanner.

title: “The Weather Network Search Multiple Solar Storms May Trigger Auroras Across Canada Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-09” author: “Stuart Moore”

After a series of flares and solar storms over the past four days, a geomagnetic storm is in effect for the evening of Friday, August 19. Credit: NOAA SWPC NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said it expects the potential impact of numerous coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on Earth’s magnetic field on Thursday and Friday. While each of these was expected to have only a small effect on its own, they explained, the cumulative effect was likely to increase geomagnetic activity. In addition, a fast stream of the solar wind, known as the coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS), is currently sweeping the Earth. Fast-moving particles in a CH HSS can trigger auroras on their own as they interact with the Earth’s magnetic field. With the current sweeping past us at a time when the magnetic field is already “ringing” from the effects of CMEs, there is a chance that geomagnetic storm activity will increase to even higher levels. Geomagnetic storms can cause problems with spacecraft and satellites and possibly even fluctuations in power grids on the ground. However, they also spark vivid displays of the Northern Lights in our night sky.

We will see that;

The Northern Lights are typically only limited to arctic regions. However, depending on the strength of the geomagnetic storm, the aurora belt can push far to the south. Reasonably clear skies are essential for aurora viewing. Based on the cloud forecast (shown above), the best areas to see any displays tonight are Alberta, Saskatchewan and perhaps southwestern Ontario. On the map, the auroras are now expected to be visible as far south as between the green (Kp=5) and yellow (Kp=7) lines.

WATCH OUT: This Alberta duo is famous for their Northern Lights magic

What has happened so far?

As of Friday morning, it appears that CME impacts and the high-speed flow effects of the coronal hole did not combine as expected. As a result, while geomagnetic activity was elevated, it only reached G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm levels overnight. The graph on the left shows the average activity of the Earth’s magnetic field, in 3-hour increments. Green bars indicate low activity, yellow bars represent small disturbances, and red lines indicate some level of geomagnetic storm. While activity peaked at G2 (moderate) levels on Wednesday night, it peaked at G1 (minor) on Thursday night. During each 3-hour block, brief periods of greater activity may have occurred. At right, the maximum predicted auroral extent over Canada occurred around 12:30 AM. EDT on Friday, but didn’t get as far south as expected. Credit: NOAA SWPC/Scott Sutherland The strength of a geomagnetic storm depends on many factors. When we encounter a high-speed jet with a coronal hole, its effect depends on the conditions along its leading edge (known as the co-rotating interaction region, or CIR). The greater the density of particles along this front, the stronger its effects will be as it sweeps past Earth’s magnetic field. For coronal mass ejections, cloud density, particle energy, and cloud velocity all play a role. The cloud also carries its own magnetic field, and the direction the magnetic field points (north or south) is important for geomagnetic and auroral activity. If the field points north—the same direction as Earth’s magnetic field—much of the cloud will be deflected around the planet and thus have a reduced impact. On the other hand, a CME with a southerly magnetic field will have a much more significant effect, possibly triggering much higher geomagnetic activity. Data from NOAA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) show that the direction of the magnetic field swung wildly between north and south during the early evening hours of Thursday. It then changed to a mostly northerly direction for the rest of the night. Real-time solar wind data from the DSCOVR satellite reveal conditions in the near-Earth environment from 16Z (noon EDT) Thursday to 15Z (11 a.m. EDT) Friday. The top row shows the direction of the magnetic field, which swung north and south until midnight Friday. It then pointed mostly north, which would reduce geomagnetic activity. Credit: NOAA SWPC/Scott Sutherland According to the NOAA SWPC: “We expect these disturbances to last through Friday and Saturday, mostly at a small to moderate level. This will keep the aurora active but at a higher latitude than yesterday.” Stay tuned for updates.

What is happening here?

Solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms are different parts of what we call space weather. Solar flares are bursts of energy from the surface of the Sun. Look at a sunspot with the right camera filter and you will see that they are surrounded by bright “corona rings”. These loops look so bright because they have tons and tons of magnetized solar matter swirling around them. The more chaotic and tangled these loops are, the more likely they are to suddenly and violently unravel and create new, simpler connections. When this happens, a significant amount of energy can be released, and this is what we call a solar flare. While most flares are weak, like the A, B and C-class, we start to pay attention when we see the M-class and especially the incredibly powerful X-class flares. Sometimes, as a solar flare explodes, it can also cause an explosion of matter from the Sun’s surface, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME) or ‘solar storm’. These form in clouds of charged solar plasma that expand into space from the site of the solar flare, passing through the normal flow of particles from the Sun that we call the ‘solar wind’. With the chaotic jumble of magnetic fields that permeate the Sun’s surface, at times, persistent openings—”corona holes”—can form that produce faster currents of the solar wind. This artist’s impression shows the various aspects of space weather, including the last 400 years of the Sun’s 11-year solar cycles, all in one graphic. Credit: NASA A geomagnetic storm occurs when the Earth’s geomagnetic field – created by the molten metal in the planet’s core – experiences some kind of disturbance. This is usually due to changes in the solar wind or a coronal hole with a high-speed stream sweeping past us. Occasionally (and more often towards the ‘peak’ of a solar cycle), we see these disturbances due to an encounter with a coronal mass ejection. The disturbance causes fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field, and some of the solar particles that pass us by are trapped in the field and pulled into the Earth’s atmosphere. Since these particles carry a significant amount of energy, when they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules in our atmosphere, they transfer some of that energy in the process. Atoms and molecules then reject this energy, emitting it as flashes of colored light. These flashes are what we see during the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis displays, also known as the Northern and Southern Lights. Different types and color combinations of saddles are shown here. Red and green are emitted by oxygen, while blue and pink are produced by nitrogen. Arcs and pillars (Tobias Bjørkli/PIXELS), Bands and Rays (GETTY), Corona (CBC), Rays and Pillars (AuroraMax/CSA), Patches and STEVE (Team Tanner) Aurora displays are harmless wonders, appearing between 100-400 km above our heads. However, space weather has its dangers. Intense solar flares bombard the planet’s upper atmosphere with X-rays, resulting in prolonged radio blackouts. Astronauts on the International Space Station take refuge in armored spacecraft until such an explosion subsides. Also, satellites and spacecraft in orbit can experience electrical problems during geomagnetic storms. Extremely strong geomagnetic storms can even cause electrical blackouts on the ground. This artist’s rendering shows the extent of the 1989 Quebec Blackout, caused by an intense geomagnetic storm. Credit: NASA No danger is expected from this week’s space weather. However, power grid operators could see problems with our systems on the ground as the strength of the geomagnetic storm increases. Image thumbnail provided by Alberta aurora hunters Tree and Dar Tanner.

title: “The Weather Network Search Multiple Solar Storms May Trigger Auroras Across Canada Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-18” author: “Arnold Kelly”

After a series of flares and solar storms over the past four days, a geomagnetic storm is in effect for the evening of Friday, August 19. Credit: NOAA SWPC NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said it expects the potential impact of numerous coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on Earth’s magnetic field on Thursday and Friday. While each of these was expected to have only a small effect on its own, they explained, the cumulative effect was likely to increase geomagnetic activity. In addition, a fast stream of the solar wind, known as the coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS), is currently sweeping the Earth. Fast-moving particles in a CH HSS can trigger auroras on their own as they interact with the Earth’s magnetic field. With the current sweeping past us at a time when the magnetic field is already “ringing” from the effects of CMEs, there is a chance that geomagnetic storm activity will increase to even higher levels. Geomagnetic storms can cause problems with spacecraft and satellites and possibly even fluctuations in power grids on the ground. However, they also spark vivid displays of the Northern Lights in our night sky.

We will see that;

The Northern Lights are typically only limited to arctic regions. However, depending on the strength of the geomagnetic storm, the aurora belt can push far to the south. Reasonably clear skies are essential for aurora viewing. Based on the cloud forecast (shown above), the best areas to see any displays tonight are Alberta, Saskatchewan and perhaps southwestern Ontario. On the map, the auroras are now expected to be visible as far south as between the green (Kp=5) and yellow (Kp=7) lines.

WATCH OUT: This Alberta duo is famous for their Northern Lights magic

What has happened so far?

As of Friday morning, it appears that CME impacts and the high-speed flow effects of the coronal hole did not combine as expected. As a result, while geomagnetic activity was elevated, it only reached G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm levels overnight. The graph on the left shows the average activity of the Earth’s magnetic field, in 3-hour increments. Green bars indicate low activity, yellow bars represent small disturbances, and red lines indicate some level of geomagnetic storm. While activity peaked at G2 (moderate) levels on Wednesday night, it peaked at G1 (minor) on Thursday night. During each 3-hour block, brief periods of greater activity may have occurred. At right, the maximum predicted auroral extent over Canada occurred around 12:30 AM. EDT on Friday, but didn’t get as far south as expected. Credit: NOAA SWPC/Scott Sutherland The strength of a geomagnetic storm depends on many factors. When we encounter a high-speed jet with a coronal hole, its effect depends on the conditions along its leading edge (known as the co-rotating interaction region, or CIR). The greater the density of particles along this front, the stronger its effects will be as it sweeps past Earth’s magnetic field. For coronal mass ejections, cloud density, particle energy, and cloud velocity all play a role. The cloud also carries its own magnetic field, and the direction the magnetic field points (north or south) is important for geomagnetic and auroral activity. If the field points north—the same direction as Earth’s magnetic field—much of the cloud will be deflected around the planet and thus have a reduced impact. On the other hand, a CME with a southerly magnetic field will have a much more significant effect, possibly triggering much higher geomagnetic activity. Data from NOAA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) show that the direction of the magnetic field swung wildly between north and south during the early evening hours of Thursday. It then changed to a mostly northerly direction for the rest of the night. Real-time solar wind data from the DSCOVR satellite reveal conditions in the near-Earth environment from 16Z (noon EDT) Thursday to 15Z (11 a.m. EDT) Friday. The top row shows the direction of the magnetic field, which swung north and south until midnight Friday. It then pointed mostly north, which would reduce geomagnetic activity. Credit: NOAA SWPC/Scott Sutherland According to the NOAA SWPC: “We expect these disturbances to last through Friday and Saturday, mostly at a small to moderate level. This will keep the aurora active but at a higher latitude than yesterday.” Stay tuned for updates.

What is happening here?

Solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms are different parts of what we call space weather. Solar flares are bursts of energy from the surface of the Sun. Look at a sunspot with the right camera filter and you will see that they are surrounded by bright “corona rings”. These loops look so bright because they have tons and tons of magnetized solar matter swirling around them. The more chaotic and tangled these loops are, the more likely they are to suddenly and violently unravel and create new, simpler connections. When this happens, a significant amount of energy can be released, and this is what we call a solar flare. While most flares are weak, like the A, B and C-class, we start to pay attention when we see the M-class and especially the incredibly powerful X-class flares. Sometimes, as a solar flare explodes, it can also cause an explosion of matter from the Sun’s surface, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME) or ‘solar storm’. These form in clouds of charged solar plasma that expand into space from the site of the solar flare, passing through the normal flow of particles from the Sun that we call the ‘solar wind’. With the chaotic jumble of magnetic fields that permeate the Sun’s surface, at times, persistent openings—”corona holes”—can form that produce faster currents of the solar wind. This artist’s impression shows the various aspects of space weather, including the last 400 years of the Sun’s 11-year solar cycles, all in one graphic. Credit: NASA A geomagnetic storm occurs when the Earth’s geomagnetic field – created by the molten metal in the planet’s core – experiences some kind of disturbance. This is usually due to changes in the solar wind or a coronal hole with a high-speed stream sweeping past us. Occasionally (and more often towards the ‘peak’ of a solar cycle), we see these disturbances due to an encounter with a coronal mass ejection. The disturbance causes fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field, and some of the solar particles that pass us by are trapped in the field and pulled into the Earth’s atmosphere. Since these particles carry a significant amount of energy, when they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules in our atmosphere, they transfer some of that energy in the process. Atoms and molecules then reject this energy, emitting it as flashes of colored light. These flashes are what we see during the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis displays, also known as the Northern and Southern Lights. Different types and color combinations of saddles are shown here. Red and green are emitted by oxygen, while blue and pink are produced by nitrogen. Arcs and pillars (Tobias Bjørkli/PIXELS), Bands and Rays (GETTY), Corona (CBC), Rays and Pillars (AuroraMax/CSA), Patches and STEVE (Team Tanner) Aurora displays are harmless wonders, appearing between 100-400 km above our heads. However, space weather has its dangers. Intense solar flares bombard the planet’s upper atmosphere with X-rays, resulting in prolonged radio blackouts. Astronauts on the International Space Station take refuge in armored spacecraft until such an explosion subsides. Also, satellites and spacecraft in orbit can experience electrical problems during geomagnetic storms. Extremely strong geomagnetic storms can even cause electrical blackouts on the ground. This artist’s rendering shows the extent of the 1989 Quebec Blackout, caused by an intense geomagnetic storm. Credit: NASA No danger is expected from this week’s space weather. However, power grid operators could see problems with our systems on the ground as the strength of the geomagnetic storm increases. Image thumbnail provided by Alberta aurora hunters Tree and Dar Tanner.

title: “The Weather Network Search Multiple Solar Storms May Trigger Auroras Across Canada Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-11” author: “Geralyn Dodd”

After a series of flares and solar storms over the past four days, a geomagnetic storm is in effect for the evening of Friday, August 19. Credit: NOAA SWPC NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center said it expects the potential impact of numerous coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on Earth’s magnetic field on Thursday and Friday. While each of these was expected to have only a small effect on its own, they explained, the cumulative effect was likely to increase geomagnetic activity. In addition, a fast stream of the solar wind, known as the coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS), is currently sweeping the Earth. Fast-moving particles in a CH HSS can trigger auroras on their own as they interact with the Earth’s magnetic field. With the current sweeping past us at a time when the magnetic field is already “ringing” from the effects of CMEs, there is a chance that geomagnetic storm activity will increase to even higher levels. Geomagnetic storms can cause problems with spacecraft and satellites and possibly even fluctuations in power grids on the ground. However, they also spark vivid displays of the Northern Lights in our night sky.

We will see that;

The Northern Lights are typically only limited to arctic regions. However, depending on the strength of the geomagnetic storm, the aurora belt can push far to the south. Reasonably clear skies are essential for aurora viewing. Based on the cloud forecast (shown above), the best areas to see any displays tonight are Alberta, Saskatchewan and perhaps southwestern Ontario. On the map, the auroras are now expected to be visible as far south as between the green (Kp=5) and yellow (Kp=7) lines.

WATCH OUT: This Alberta duo is famous for their Northern Lights magic

What has happened so far?

As of Friday morning, it appears that CME impacts and the high-speed flow effects of the coronal hole did not combine as expected. As a result, while geomagnetic activity was elevated, it only reached G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm levels overnight. The graph on the left shows the average activity of the Earth’s magnetic field, in 3-hour increments. Green bars indicate low activity, yellow bars represent small disturbances, and red lines indicate some level of geomagnetic storm. While activity peaked at G2 (moderate) levels on Wednesday night, it peaked at G1 (minor) on Thursday night. During each 3-hour block, brief periods of greater activity may have occurred. At right, the maximum predicted auroral extent over Canada occurred around 12:30 AM. EDT on Friday, but didn’t get as far south as expected. Credit: NOAA SWPC/Scott Sutherland The strength of a geomagnetic storm depends on many factors. When we encounter a high-speed jet with a coronal hole, its effect depends on the conditions along its leading edge (known as the co-rotating interaction region, or CIR). The greater the density of particles along this front, the stronger its effects will be as it sweeps past Earth’s magnetic field. For coronal mass ejections, cloud density, particle energy, and cloud velocity all play a role. The cloud also carries its own magnetic field, and the direction the magnetic field points (north or south) is important for geomagnetic and auroral activity. If the field points north—the same direction as Earth’s magnetic field—much of the cloud will be deflected around the planet and thus have a reduced impact. On the other hand, a CME with a southerly magnetic field will have a much more significant effect, possibly triggering much higher geomagnetic activity. Data from NOAA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) show that the direction of the magnetic field swung wildly between north and south during the early evening hours of Thursday. It then changed to a mostly northerly direction for the rest of the night. Real-time solar wind data from the DSCOVR satellite reveal conditions in the near-Earth environment from 16Z (noon EDT) Thursday to 15Z (11 a.m. EDT) Friday. The top row shows the direction of the magnetic field, which swung north and south until midnight Friday. It then pointed mostly north, which would reduce geomagnetic activity. Credit: NOAA SWPC/Scott Sutherland According to the NOAA SWPC: “We expect these disturbances to last through Friday and Saturday, mostly at a small to moderate level. This will keep the aurora active but at a higher latitude than yesterday.” Stay tuned for updates.

What is happening here?

Solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms are different parts of what we call space weather. Solar flares are bursts of energy from the surface of the Sun. Look at a sunspot with the right camera filter and you will see that they are surrounded by bright “corona rings”. These loops look so bright because they have tons and tons of magnetized solar matter swirling around them. The more chaotic and tangled these loops are, the more likely they are to suddenly and violently unravel and create new, simpler connections. When this happens, a significant amount of energy can be released, and this is what we call a solar flare. While most flares are weak, like the A, B and C-class, we start to pay attention when we see the M-class and especially the incredibly powerful X-class flares. Sometimes, as a solar flare explodes, it can also cause an explosion of matter from the Sun’s surface, known as a coronal mass ejection (CME) or ‘solar storm’. These form in clouds of charged solar plasma that expand into space from the site of the solar flare, passing through the normal flow of particles from the Sun that we call the ‘solar wind’. With the chaotic jumble of magnetic fields that permeate the Sun’s surface, at times, persistent openings—”corona holes”—can form that produce faster currents of the solar wind. This artist’s impression shows the various aspects of space weather, including the last 400 years of the Sun’s 11-year solar cycles, all in one graphic. Credit: NASA A geomagnetic storm occurs when the Earth’s geomagnetic field – created by the molten metal in the planet’s core – experiences some kind of disturbance. This is usually due to changes in the solar wind or a coronal hole with a high-speed stream sweeping past us. Occasionally (and more often towards the ‘peak’ of a solar cycle), we see these disturbances due to an encounter with a coronal mass ejection. The disturbance causes fluctuations in the Earth’s magnetic field, and some of the solar particles that pass us by are trapped in the field and pulled into the Earth’s atmosphere. Since these particles carry a significant amount of energy, when they collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules in our atmosphere, they transfer some of that energy in the process. Atoms and molecules then reject this energy, emitting it as flashes of colored light. These flashes are what we see during the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis displays, also known as the Northern and Southern Lights. Different types and color combinations of saddles are shown here. Red and green are emitted by oxygen, while blue and pink are produced by nitrogen. Arcs and pillars (Tobias Bjørkli/PIXELS), Bands and Rays (GETTY), Corona (CBC), Rays and Pillars (AuroraMax/CSA), Patches and STEVE (Team Tanner) Aurora displays are harmless wonders, appearing between 100-400 km above our heads. However, space weather has its dangers. Intense solar flares bombard the planet’s upper atmosphere with X-rays, resulting in prolonged radio blackouts. Astronauts on the International Space Station take refuge in armored spacecraft until such an explosion subsides. Also, satellites and spacecraft in orbit can experience electrical problems during geomagnetic storms. Extremely strong geomagnetic storms can even cause electrical blackouts on the ground. This artist’s rendering shows the extent of the 1989 Quebec Blackout, caused by an intense geomagnetic storm. Credit: NASA No danger is expected from this week’s space weather. However, power grid operators could see problems with our systems on the ground as the strength of the geomagnetic storm increases. Image thumbnail provided by Alberta aurora hunters Tree and Dar Tanner.