'Intense' Solar Flare Will Cause Major Geomagnetic Storms and Aurora Displays, NASA Says

Authorities predict that states as far south as Oregon and Illinois will be able to see auroras between now and Oct. 6

<p>NASA/SDO</p> NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare on Oct. 1, 2024.

NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare on Oct. 1, 2024.

NASA had a busy start to October, as the agency announced that the sun emitted several major solar flares on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Oct. 1, NASA announced that its Solar Dynamics Observatory — which constantly watches the sun — captured footage of images of a massive solar flare classified as an X7.1-strength flare, meaning it was one of the "most intense" types of flares.

According to NASA, solar flares are defined as "powerful bursts of energy," and they can impact everything from radio communications and electric power grids to navigation signals. They're known to impact Earth's weather — resulting in possible temporary radio blackouts above parts of the U.S., LiveScience reported. Spaceweather.com reported that Hawai'i was hit the hardest by the flare, as the Pacific experienced temporary radio blackouts after the flare was emitted.

On Thursday, Oct. 3, NASA also announced that the observatory had captured even more images of another, even stronger flare — this time, an X9.0 flare that marked the strongest one recorded this season (solar cycle 25).

The flare was rated an R3-strength (flares are rated R1-R5, with R1 being the weakest) by NOAA, meaning that it may cause a "strong" radio blackout.

"Today's X9 (R3) flare was prolific, but impulsive," NOAA wrote in an X post. "Still, the flare was associated with a CME and analyses and model runs are being conducted at this time."

Following NASA's reports, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G3-level geomagnetic storm warning for Oct. 4 through Oct. 6, meaning that two coronal mass ejections (CME), or an eruption of solar materials such as gas, is likely to hit Earth between now and Saturday — which could trigger bright aurora displays.

"A CME is anticipated to reach and impact Earth with elevated geomagnetic response and dependent upon the orientation of the embedded magnetic field, potential exists for Strong Storm levels," the Space Weather Prediction Center said in its advisory.

If NOAA's forecasts are correct, people in the U.S. as far south as Illinois or Oregon could get a glimpse at the northern lights.

"Limited, minor effects to some technological infrastructure possible, but mainly mitigatable. The aurora may become visible over many of the northern states and some of the lower Midwest to Oregon," the center added.

<p>NASA/SDO</p> NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an X9.0 solar flare – as seen in the bright flash in the center – on Oct. 03, 2024. The image shows a blend of 171 Angstrom, and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light.

NASA/SDO

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of an X9.0 solar flare – as seen in the bright flash in the center – on Oct. 03, 2024. The image shows a blend of 171 Angstrom, and 131 Angstrom light, subsets of extreme ultraviolet light.

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According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, auroras are caused by solar wind carrying charged particles from CMEs and solar flares to Earth's magnetosphere, where "fast moving particles slam into our thin, high atmosphere, colliding with Earth's oxygen and nitrogen particles."

"As these air particles shed the energy they picked up from the collision, each atom starts to glow in a different color," the lab states.

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