The return of stormy space weather brings with it the potential to see auroras
Expect aurora to be visible beyond the U.S. and Canada border Wednesday night, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a geomagnetic storm watch.
The watch was originally in effect until Wednesday but has been updated to continue through to Thursday.
This storm is associated with a strong solar flare earlier in the week, sending at least four coronal mass ejections (CMEs) Earth-bound. According to NOAA, when these CMEs arrive at our planet, a geomagnetic storm can occur.
According to the NOAA website, CMEs continue to erupt from the Sun “due to the number of active regions and the associated complex sunspot groups,” which may result in additional CME arrivals.
Space Weather Canada warns that significant geomagnetic storms have a variety of effects on technology. They can cause damage to satellites due to magnetic disturbances, which in turn impacts radio waves and GPS navigation. These disturbances can also induce electric currents in power lines and pipelines, which may cause power outages or pipeline corrosion.
Space weather physicist Dr. Tamitha Skov expects minor disruptions from Wednesday’s G2 storm, posting on social media website X that the solar storm is moving slower than expected.
Clear conditions are expected in Calgary Wednesday night, with some cloud coverage in the afternoon but wind expected to clear the skies into the evening, possibly allowing for unobstructed views of the aurora.