Space weather forecasters issued an alert on Tuesday for incoming severe solar storms that could produce colorful northern lights and temporarily disrupt communications. In the past few days, the sun has burped out several bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections that could reach Earth Tuesday night and early Wednesday, the AP reports. The potential severe geomagnetic storms could disrupt radio and GPS communications, according to forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
How bright the auroras are and how far south they are visible will depend on when the solar bursts get here and how they interact with Earth's atmosphere. The vibrant displays could be visible across much of the northern US, and as far south as Alabama and Northern California. Northern lights forecasts can be found on NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center website or an aurora forecasting app. The center has issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch for Wednesday, an alert considered "severe" on a scale that goes from one to five, Scientific American reports. A G3, or "strong" level is expected Thursday.
Skygazers are spotting the lights deeper into the United States and Europe because the sun is going through a major face-lift. Every 11 years, its poles swap places, causing magnetic twists and tangles along the way. Last year, the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades slammed Earth, producing light displays across the Northern Hemisphere. And soon afterward, a powerful solar storm dazzled skygazers far from the Arctic Circle when dancing lights appeared in unexpected places including Germany, the United Kingdom, New England, and New York City.
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Solar storms can bring more than colorful lights to Earth. When fast-moving particles and plasma slam into Earth's magnetic field, they can temporarily disrupt the power grid. Space weather can also interfere with air traffic control radio and satellites in orbit. Severe storms are capable of scrambling other radio and GPS communications.
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