Aurora alert: Possible geomagnetic storm could bring northern lights as far south as New York (2024)

FAQs

Could a possible geomagnetic storm bring Northern Lights as far south as New York? ›

While auroras are best seen in the polar regions, including Alaska and northern Canada, stronger solar events can produce Northern Lights farther south. Because of Tuesday's solar storm, space weather forecasters say the Northern Lights could be visible in the northern U.S. from New York to Idaho.

Can you see the northern lights in NYC? These lights are usually only seen near the Earth's poles, but during more intense solar storms, they can be seen in the Tri-State area and even further south, like the last geomagnetic storm in NYC.

Although it's difficult for astronomers to pinpoint where the Northern Lights will be visible, they may be visible as far south as New York, Washington and Wisconsin, according to the NOAA's alert. Other states within the view line include Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan and Maine.

Individuals have reported experiencing health problems from this type of solar activity, and researchers have suggested solar flares might be able to affect human health. However, health issues like headaches or mood changes are unlikely following a solar flare event; more research is needed.

It should be noted, that during strong geomagnetic disturbances, the tolerance to mental and physical stresses is decreased; there appears a danger of disorders for the people whose professional work is connected to high-level responsibility, like surgeons, dispatchers, drivers, pilots, etc.

The reason for that is an impending solar maximum. During the solar cycle, which is roughly 11 years according to NOAA, the sun emits energy that reached peaks and minimums in intensity.

Historians think the furthest south the northern lights have ever been seen is in Honolulu, Hawaii. That is only 21 degrees north of the equator! This aurora was seen during the great solar storm of 1859. The southern lights may have been seen as far north as Singapore, eight degrees south of the equator.

The Aurora borealis, visible from Joshua Tree National Park, from Friday, May 10 to Saturday, May 11, 2024. "At the aurora's peak around 11:30 p.m. and again at 1:30 a.m., the sky was noticeably red, and streaks of lights could be seen without the assistance of a camera.

The closer you are to the North or South Pole, the greater your chances are of seeing this amazing spectacle. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is called an aurora borealis or the northern lights. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is called an aurora australis or the southern lights.

More powerful solar storms can be expected in the coming months as the peak of the current solar cycle — the 11-year ebb and flow in the number of sunspots, solar flares and eruptions — is expected in late 2024 and early 2025. The paper was accepted for publication in the journal of Spacecraft and Rockets.

Will a solar flare hit Earth in 2025? ›

With the current period of high activity, scientists predict “at least a few more G4 events between now and 2025,” Bettwy said. But the elevated risk of solar storms could last into 2026, because some evidence suggests CMEs may become more common on the back side of the peak in solar activity.

Perhaps less well-known are the impacts such solar events have on human health. But periods of intense solar activity can disrupt the body's circadian rhythm, nervous system, heart rate and blood pressure — even if they're not visible to the human eye in the form of an aurora, researchers say.

Auroras are brilliant ribbons of light weaving across Earth's northern or southern polar regions. These natural light shows are caused by magnetic storms that have been triggered by solar activity, such as solar flares (explosions on the Sun) or coronal mass ejections (ejected gas bubbles).

“Last night absolutely felt like a dream,” Coyne shared on his Instagram. “We had the privilege of seeing the Northern lights here in Southern California! The geomagnetic storm had a KP index of 8 which is why we got to see it all the way down here at Mountain High.

The Carrington Event of 1859

An intense white light flare was erupted by the Sun, which was followed by a massive coronal mass ejection, or charged particles, that reached Earth in about 17 hours. The geomagnetic storm caused spectacular auroras visible as far south as the Caribbean.