Increased solar activity has prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a watch for geomagnetic storms on December 25.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) approaching Earth could spread aurora joy this Christmas. Its expected arrival may trigger minor geomagnetic storm conditions, with auroras likely observable at high latitudes, like northern Michigan and Maine.
The CME departed the sun on December 23 during a vigorous M8.9 solar flare eruption and is currently projected to make contact with Earth in a glancing manner.
When CMEs impact Earth’s magnetosphere, they unleash electrically charged particles known as ions that interact with our planet’s magnetic field. These interactions can lead to geomagnetic storms. During such storms, ions engage with atmospheric gases, releasing energy that appears as light. This results in the breathtaking phenomena referred to as the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, in the Northern Hemisphere, as well as the southern lights, or Aurora Australis, in the Southern Hemisphere.
NOAA categorizes geomagnetic storms on a G-scale, assessing their intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). The recent geomagnetic storm watch issued by NOAA is currently classified as a G1, suggesting minor storm conditions.
When will the geomagnetic storm happen?
Current predictions indicate potential G1 conditions on December 25. Check out NOAA’s 3-day forecast for updated timing.
Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov has shared an informative space weather forecast for the upcoming days in a post on X.
Keep in mind that space weather, similar to Earth’s weather, is uncertain and challenging to predict. Even though geomagnetic storm alerts at this level are uncommon, they can sometimes prove inconsequential.