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Solar Flare Sparks Northern Lights Watch!
12 May
Summary
- A powerful solar flare on May 10 could cause northern lights.
- The CME is rotating into Earth's path over the next few days.
- Displays might enhance northern lights across the UK and US.
A significant solar flare erupted on May 10th, potentially leading to visible northern lights displays this week. This event involved a coronal mass ejection (CME), a vast expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun's corona.
The eruption, which occurred at 1:13 PM on Sunday, is currently moving towards Earth's path. Over the next few days, this solar material is expected to enter our planet's "strike zone."
The Met Office forecasts that a portion of this solar material may interact with Earth around May 13th. This interaction could trigger minor geomagnetic storm conditions.
These conditions are expected to enhance the visibility of the northern lights, particularly across the United Kingdom and the northern United States. The phenomenon occurs when charged particles from the Sun collide with gases in Earth's atmosphere, creating colorful light displays.
