The solar flare that took place this weekend could lead to a risk of a G3 geomagnetic storm and the possibility of seeing aurora borealis in the Northern Hemisphere.
A major solar flare that occurred on Sunday could light up the night sky of some regions of the Northern Hemisphere in the coming days, probably overnight Wednesday into Thursday, with possible aurora borealis. Classified X1.9 by NASA, this explosion took place at the level of a group of sunspots that recently appeared on the edge of the Sun, considered one of the most impressive of the last decade, writes Le Figaro.
According to NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, the phenomenon briefly disrupted radio communications in Australia and parts of Southeast Asia. The eruption was also accompanied by a coronal mass ejection (CME), a cloud of particles and magnetic fields that, when it hits Earth, can trigger geomagnetic storms and affect satellites, power grids and navigation systems.
Geomagnetic storm
NOAA – the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – has issued a geomagnetic storm warning for the night of Wednesday, December 3, into Thursday, December 4, predicting an impact that could reach class G3, considered “strong” by experts. If conditions are favorable, these disturbances could make the aurora borealis visible down to lower latitudes than usual in the Northern Hemisphere.
However, the brightness of the phenomenon will depend on the exact orientation of the solar ejection and local weather conditions, which could limit visibility. Meteorologists are keeping an eye on this sunspot group, called AR4299, whose activity could spark further flares in the coming weeks.
