This week, a solar storm caused large explosions of solar plasma and magnetic energy from the surface of the sun into space — an event known as a coronal mass ejection.
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said Friday these ejections are now affecting Earth.
The first visible and electromagnetic effects of a solar flare reach observers on Earth at the speed of light, which means they were spotted about eight minutes after they occurred on the surface of the sun on Tuesday. At the time, the flare caused brief interruption in shortwave communications across parts of the planet.
The actual mass of the coronal mass ejection is now interacting with Earth's own magnetic field, the Space Weather Prediction Center said Friday.
During these geomagnetic storms, the plasma and magnetic energy from the sun can cause heating and magnetic disturbances in the upper atmosphere, and cause glowing auroras that can be seen from the ground.
— NOAA Space Weather (@NWSSWPC) December 1, 2023
In a post on X, the Space Weather Prediction Center told the public that this storm is not a cause for concern for anyone on Earth.
The center said some people might be able to see an extension of aurora activity, which would be visible at night under clear conditions.
It said it had warned infrastructure operators to be ready for the possibility of more niche impacts, including minor power grid fluctuations and possible poor performance from GPS satellites.
Some states might be able to see the northern lights Sunday night
Northern states like Washington, Wyoming, and Maine could potentially see the aurora borealis during geomagnetic storms.
