Solar Storm may illuminate the skies with spectacular auroras on Friday in this country

Prepare for a celestial spectacle this weekend! Canadians are being urged to direct their gaze towards the heavens as a solar storm is expected to hit the Earth on Friday and spark beatiful auroras in the night sky. Yes, there will be breathtaking displays of the Northern Lights.

This follows the extremely explosive events on the Sun on Monday night, when a colossal active region, designated as AR 3559, discharged an enormous cloud of charged solar particles into space, known as a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME).

This solar storm took just three days to traverse the 150 million-kilometre journey from the Sun to the Earth and it is homing in on our planet. Experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center says that the CME will reach Earth during the course of Friday, introducing a minor perturbation to the geomagnetic field, thus causing a geomagnetic storm.

NOAA SWPC has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Watch, forecasting G1 storm levels for Friday afternoon (EDT), “with a chance for G2 storm levels if more favourable conditions are observed.”

While powerful geomagnetic storms have been known to disrupt orbiting spacecraft, satellites, and terrestrial power grids, weak to moderate geomagnetic storms predominantly yield awe-inspiring exhibitions of the Aurora Borealis, commonly referred to as the Northern Lights.

The timing of the event is crucial in determining the regions where the auroras will be visible. If the geomagnetic storm coincides with daylight hours in Canada, any potential displays will be concentrated over northern Russia and northern Europe. However, should the storm arrive later than expected, persist until nightfall, or escalate to G2 or higher levels, avid aurora chasers throughout Canada should keep a watchful eye on the northern horizon.

The extent of aurora visibility hinges on the intensity of the geomagnetic storm. Auroras are typically observable as far as northern Atlantic Canada, northern Quebec, northeastern Ontario, western Ontario, and the Prairies.

The auroras are likely to extend further south if the solar storm escalates to G2 (moderate) levels.

Prepare for a captivating night sky spectacle as Mother Nature prepares to paint the Canadian heavens with ethereal hues. Remember to look up and gaze at the mesmerising dance of the Northern Lights, if conditions align in your favour.