A significant solar flare along with a Coronal Mass Ejection from the sun could give residents of the northern part of the country and Canada a chance to see the spectacular Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights.
Solar Flares consist of massive eruptions of electromagnetic radiation that can last from minutes to hours. The energy emitted by the sun from a solar flare travels at the speed of light. This means that an effect on the sunlit side of our planet’s exposed atmosphere occurs simultaneously when the event is observed.
Solar Flares come from sunspots on the surface of the sun. When they occur, high-energy particles, including X-rays, are thrown outward in every direction.
These large explosions of plasma and magnetic fields emanating from the corona of the sun can throw up billions of tons of coronal material and embedded magnetic fields. This is more powerful than the strength of the solar wind interplanetary magnetic field.
Northern Lights Caused By The Massive Solar Flare Could Be Visible Even In New York
This celestial occurrence can be experienced given the right area and conditions and is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Much of the northern third of the US, and Canada will get to experience this celestial wonder. But weather permitting, it will be visibly lower down the horizon, even in Oklahoma City and New York.
The sun-storm is expected to arrive over Halloween. These particles from the solar flare will amplify the regular occurrence of the northern light. The geomagnetic storm could spark auroras visible to the naked eye as far south as Oregon and Illinois.
These solar phenomenons are one of the two most massive eruptions from the Sun this year. it could also be visible in Iceland, Norway, and Scotland.
The Northern Lights are rarely visible at such a lower latitude, especially around the big cities. But the massive solar flare could make this possible, but it would be low on the horizon and not as dramatic as seen up further north in countries like Norway and Iceland.