#01: Many countries around the world have issued warnings, and an epic magnetic storm is coming
Just last night, people in many countries around the world were stunned by what they saw in front of them!
Many people may have thought that in this life, they can actually see the aurora in the place where they live, and they can see it at their doorstep!
Image source: Xiaohongshu
And the reason behind such a spectacle has made many countries around the world warn...
On May 10, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States issued an extremely strong geomagnetic storm (G5 level) warning, and the impact of geomagnetic storms caused by solar coronal mass ejections on the Earth will last from the 10th to the 12th.
It is the first time since October 2003 that the agency has issued the highest level of G5 geomagnetic storm warning!
The Space Weather Prediction Centre classifies geomagnetic storms from weak to strong into five categories: G1 (weak), G2 (moderate), G3 (strong), G4 (severe) and G5 (very strong).
The emergency alert issued by NOAA predicts that the Earth will be affected by a severe geomagnetic storm from Friday to Sunday, which will bring chaos to electronic communications, GPS navigation and power grids!
Following the prediction of severe geomagnetic storm events, the Sun observed at least seven coronal mass ejections.
Just yesterday, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology also issued a warning saying,
The event will have an impact from around 8pm AET with a potential power outage and satellite service impacted.
The BOM urges governments and critical infrastructure operators to take action to reduce the potential impact on infrastructure and essential services, such as the power grid.
Image source: ABC News
Geomagnetic storm warnings were also issued by China's National Space Weather Monitoring and Warning Center.
A red alert shows that a geomagnetic storm will occur from 23:00 on May 10, 2024, Beijing time, with the maximum level reaching the level of ultra-geomagnetic storm (Kp=9), and it is expected that the magnetic storm process will continue in the next 24 hours, and geomagnetic storms may still occur in the future.
Image source: National Warning Release
Clinton Wallace, director of the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, said, "This is an unusual and potentially historic event. ”
NOAA revealed today that the worst of the previous worst had occurred in the Carrington incident in 1859, when a telegraph station caught fire and global communications were disrupted.
The National Weather Service's Space Weather Forecasting Center (SWPC), which is testing the Sun after a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections that began on May 8, could cause geomagnetic storm conditions to persist through the weekend, NOAA wrote in the emergency alert.
In Australia, G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm conditions are expected to arrive on Earth at around 8pm AET on Friday before weakening to G3, with the potential to reach G4 again on Saturday.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology predicts that this geomagnetic condition could continue until 6am on Monday.
The report notes that the intensity of geomagnetic storms in Australia is usually lower than the global average.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said the event was caused by four coronal mass ejection events observed at 3:36 p.m. and 10:24 p.m. on Wednesday and 8:24 a.m. and 7:36 p.m. on Thursday.
According to the Australian Space Weather Alert System, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the eruptions of massive extrasolar clouds of plasma and magnetic fields in the Sun's outer atmosphere.
When these material ejections reach the Earth, they cause geomagnetic storms.
#02: Geomagnetic storms are harmless to humans and will pose a serious threat to communication equipment
After the warning appeared, many people said that their bodies seemed to be reacting.
Image source: Xiaohongshu
But in fact, geomagnetic storms are considered harmless to humans and have little to no effect on human health.
If there is no impact on the human body, it will also affect the astronauts on the space station and the personnel on the polar flight.
Therefore, astronauts on the space station need to be more protected.
In addition, when flying across the polar regions, radiation is usually enhanced, but not to the point of danger.
Geomagnetic storms can also have an impact on some biological activities. Pigeons, for example, rely on the Earth's magnetic field for their positioning and flight, and are therefore also affected by geomagnetic storms.
In today's society, the main impact of a geomagnetic storm of this magnitude is that it can cause a wide range of unpredictable consequences for those communication equipment.
According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, a G4 geomagnetic storm could potentially affect:
- Critical infrastructure such as the power grid, causing power outages;
- solar flares can damage satellites, affecting communications and global positioning, navigation and timing services, which use high-frequency wireless communications;
- interfere with the Earth's magnetic field, threatening airlines;
-It may also corrode long-distance pipeline systems, causing leakage and affecting the normal operation of oil, cable and other pipeline systems.
- They interfere with radio waves, GPS positioning;
- It may even "ruin the Internet for some."
#03: The aurora is visible to the naked eye in many places around the world, and the best time and place to chase the light is announced
However, this geomagnetic storm has also brought an ultimate visual feast to people in many places around the world, including Australia.
If G4 geomagnetic conditions occur, bright auroras will be visible at unusually low latitudes, including areas of dark skies near Sydney and Perth.
At 7 p.m. EST on Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology posted on Facebook: "To see the Northern Lights, ideally, you need a dark night with few clouds and a great view to the south."
The bright aurora usually lasts 1-3 hours, and the best time to see them is around midnight – between 10pm and 2am. ”
Image source: ABC News
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also said severe magnetic storms could cause aurora borealis in southern parts of the United States, such as Alabama and northern California.
In an update to its website, the UK Meteorological Service said: "With clear skies and sufficiently dark, aurora is expected to be observed in the northern half of the UK, with the possibility that the aurora will be visible throughout the UK as well as in areas of similar geomagnetic latitudes." ”
The aurora may also be seen in places like Liverpool in the UK.
And this morning, netizens around the world posted the aurora they saw last night.
Australia
Image source: Xiaohongshu
United Kingdom
Image source: Xiaohongshu
United States
Image source: Xiaohongshu
Canada
Image source: Xiaohongshu
China
Image source: Xiaohongshu
According to the Aurora forecast, the Kp value of the Aurora Index will reach the highest level of the year on May 10-11!
Image source: Aurora app
When the Kp value is greater than 5, the aurora can be captured by the camera, and when the Kp value is greater than 7, it can be seen by the naked eye.
As can be seen in the figure, the Kp value has reached 5 since May 10, and it has reached 8 on the 11th!
Of course, if you want to successfully catch the aurora, in addition to fighting luck, these preparations are also essential!
The best place to see it
In Melbourne, the best spot to spot the aurora is at the southernmost point, whether it's the Nobby Point Lookout on Penguin Island or the ends of the earth at Mornington Lighthouse!
Best time to observe
In addition to the aurora index, cloud thickness also affects the observation effect. According to the current weather forecast, the clouds are thick on the night of May 10, and there will be almost no clouds on the 11th.