Forbes Innovation Science Solar Flare And Explosions May Bring Bright Aurora And Geomagnetic Storms Monday Eric Mack Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I cover science and innovation and products and policies they create. Following Feb 26, 2023, 02:21pm EST | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Not an actual image. An illustration of Giant Solar Flares. getty An explosive series of events on the surface of the sun could bring northern lights (and maybe some southern lights, too) to millions over the next couple days, while causing headaches from some radio and satellite operators. “A magnetic filament connected to sunspot AR3229 erupted on Feb. 24th, producing a chain reaction of events that could lead to a geomagnetic storm on Earth,” astronomer Dr. Tony Phillips explained at Spaceweather. com . The energetic eruption then triggered a long-duration M-class (medium intensity) solar flare. The radiation from that flare traveled at the speed of light to reach Earth in under ten minutes and disrupt communications for mariners, hams and other radio operators for almost an hour. But it’s what came next that could bring the aurora: an at-least partially earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME). CMEs are blasts of charged plasma from the sun’s outer layers. They travel much slower than flares, taking a few days to reach us, and they can cause geomagnetic storms when they arrive. MORE FOR YOU $100M Magic: Why Bruno Mars And Other Stars Are Ditching Their Managers Tensions Flare Between Poland And Belarus Amid A Series Of Diplomatic Rows Eyes Forward: Ballet Dancers’ Clever Trick To Balance Their Turns These storms can disrupt and even destroy satellites and also mess with radio communications. The most extreme events can damage electrical infrastructure on the ground. On the plus side, they also drive the aurora borealis and aurora australis further from their polar homes than normal. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts a 45 percent chance of a moderate storm Monday with a 15 percent chance of becoming strong or extreme. A strong storm could cause some issues with GPS and other satellite systems, and we might see the Northern Lights venture as far south as Oregon. Lots of northern tier US population centers like Seattle, Chicago, Boston and New York may get a surprise visit from the aurora is skies are clear with minimal light pollution. We’ve been seeing geomagnetic storm events like this more frequently as our current solar cycle ramps up to a peak of intensity over the next couple years. This has the potential to be one of the strongest storms yet of the cycle, although there are no guarantees with space weather predictions. Meanwhile, as we wait for the CME blast to arrive, the sun seems to have calmed just a bit, with only a slight chance of major flares the next few days. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn . Check out my website . Eric Mack Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.