Solar storm expected to make Northern Lights visible in 17 states

https://apnews.com/article/auroras-northern-lights-solar-storm-58f8d99d746bed1c656170a4a38d6362

by rntn • 3 years ago

43 6 3 years ago

superkuh• 3 years ago

No. That's not true and the AP News seems to be having trouble interpreting the forecast. The 27 day forecast for activity just has to do with the rotation of the sun bringing back active regions to face earth every ~27 days. This allows you to make very general low accuracy predictions about the solar wind and coronal hole based co-rotating interaction region geomagnetic effects. But these effects are minimal and only really matter to people under the auroral oval (far north/south).

There is no way to predict actual solar storms that far ahead. Nor any way to predict geomagnetic effects at Earth 4 days ahead unless the sun put out a really slow, big CME (which it hasn't).

This is not news. This is a science understanding mistake made by AP News.

sukhavati• 3 years ago

I haven’t kept track of the strength of the last coronal mass ejection, but I know you are wrong in this regard, because coronal mass ejections take around 3 to 4 days, sometimes even longer to reach earth. Other effects from solar flaring, such as x-ray particles, and high charge electrons arrive, basically, instantaneously along with light (~8m)

sieabahlpark• 3 years ago

Wouldn't be the first time AP failed to interpret "the science".

binkHN• 3 years ago

The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has forecast auroral activity on Thursday in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine and Maryland.

pkdpic• 3 years ago

The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has forecast auroral activity on Thursday in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Indiana, Maine and Maryland.
Light displays are expected to be visible overhead in Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Helena, Montana, and low on the horizon in Salem, Oregon.; Boise, Idaho; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Annapolis, Maryland; and Indianapolis, according to the institute.
best viewing times are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time.

lavasalesman• 3 years ago

What's the difference in appearance between these?

Solar storm expected to make Northern Lights visible in 17 states

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