Northern Lights May Appear Across 22 US States Tonight
Auroras could be visible from Alaska to Illinois as geomagnetic storm conditions are expected to continue tonight. Earth is preparing for the arrival of a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) launched from the sun during yesterday's M7.4 solar flare.
Coronal Mass Ejection Arrival and Impact
The fast-moving CME is forecast to reach Earth late tonight or early Friday morning (UTC), potentially causing strong (G3) geomagnetic storm conditions, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. This follows an unexpected display of auroras overnight when a glancing CME arrival combined with residual effects from a high-speed solar wind stream, pushing geomagnetic activity to G3 levels and sparking auroras in northern U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Storm Watches and Aurora Potential
The Met Office has issued G3 storm watches for November. If the CME arrives as predicted and its magnetic orientation connects well with Earth's magnetic field, it could intensify auroras across high and possibly mid-latitude regions.
Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov said, "An aurora photographer's dream starting now and lasting at least through the weekend," adding that G3 to G4 storm levels are possible by Friday as multiple CMEs interact with Earth's magnetic field.
Summary
The coming days may bring spectacular aurora displays across large areas of the northern hemisphere due to ongoing geomagnetic storms driven by solar activity.
Author's summary: Intense solar activity is expected to produce vibrant northern lights visible across many US states tonight, in what experts call an aurora photographer’s dream weekend.