This weekend’s severe geomagnetic storm that’s setting up great conditions for spotting an aurora is an exciting once-in-a-decade event, according to a Vancouver astronomer.
Matthew Cimone, head interpreter at the HR MacMillan Space Centre, told Daily Hive the sun is reaching its most active point in this 11-year-cycle. Three very powerful solar flares have been released in the last two days, and they’re set to hit earth beginning tonight.
“The flares that are happening right now, you’ll only get a couple of those over the course of the decade of the solar cycle,” he said.
Aurora and geomagnetic storms are rather frequent, but flares of this magnitude are less common. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued an alert about the “severe” geomagnetic storm, classed as G4 — the first of that strength since 2005.
The Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) has issued the first G4 (Severe) geomagnetic watch since 2005. The aurora tonight/tomorrow morning may become visible over much of the northern half of the country, and maybe as far south as Alabama to northern California.
Story:… pic.twitter.com/bqgd9qqnNI— National Weather Service (@NWS) May 10, 2024
As Coastal British Columbians know, the Northern Lights are often obscured by rain clouds. This weekend is extra exciting because the skies will be clear.
“A lot of these astrological phenomena rarely line up with favourable weather,” Cimone said. “It’s one of the heartbreaking things of being an astronomer on the West Coast.”
The chances of seeing aurora near Vancouver and Victoria will peak between 8 pm and 2 am, according to Cimone. The sun will still be up for part of that window, but once it sets he advised people to get to a dark place away from the city for the best chances of spotting the Northern Lights.
“There’s no guarantee, it’s always a predicted forecast that it might occur. But we are hoping if the weather holds up, you might get a chance to see some of that dancing green in the sky.”
The aurora happens when solar flares kick up solar material that triggers geomagnetic storms when it hits Earth. The storm may also disturb radio and TV broadcasts as well as satellite and GPS functionality, according to NOAA.
Cimone doesn’t think the average person will notice a change in satellite communications or electrical infrastructure — though people who work in those industries might. Radio or TV broadcasts may become distorted, with the greatest impacts felt further north.
NOAA says aurora may be seen as far south as Northern California, and nearly all of Canada is zoned as likely to see aurora Friday night.
“We don’t get aurora very often in Vancouver, so it’s always an exciting opportunity to go and look up. When we do have these events, it’s a good reminder to take a moment to look up in the sky, reflect on our existence in the universe, and be reminded that it’s pretty amazing we’re alive at all — zipping around on our little rock around the sun at thousands of kilometres per hour.”
Will you be watching the sky to see the Northern Lights? Let us know in the comments.