Blast of energy from Sun triggers ongoing geomagnetic storm
This level of geomagnetic storm caused by space weather is common and can trigger vivid displays of the Northern Lights in Canada and Alaska.
Know Your FOX Weather: Northern Lights
FOX Weather meteorologist Stephen Morgan breaks down the Northern Lights and how you can see them.
An ongoing Geomagnetic Storm Warning was extended through Tuesday after a blast of energetic particles from the Sun reached Earth.
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a Geomagnetic Storm Warning for Monday night into Tuesday and later extended it through Tuesday night.
The warning was triggered by a coronal mass ejection (CME), charged particles from the Sun reaching Earth's atmosphere overnight on Monday. CMEs usually take about three days to reach Earth after departing the Sun.
The SWPC rates solar storms on a five-level scale, with five being the most extreme and rarest space weather conditions. Minor, Level 1 out of 5, geomagnetic storming is possible on Tuesday.
The SWPC said it issued a Level 1 warning because the CME "lacked the necessary magnetic field orientation to ramp up to higher than G1 levels."
Minor geomagnetic storms are common. According to NASA, nearly 40 CMEs occurred last week, but most did not cause space weather impacts on Earth.
This photo shows a vivid northern lights display over a home in Alaska on Nov. 23, 2024. (Vincent Ledvina via Storyful / FOX Weather)
A minor geomagnetic storm can trigger vivid displays of Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, in Canada and Alaska.
SEE MORE: EXTREME GEOMAGNETIC STORM TRIGGERS JAW-DROPPING AURORAS AROUND THE WORLD
The current space weather forecast could include impacts outside the Northern Lights, including weak power grid fluctuations.
What the Sun looks like at Solar Maximum
Images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory highlight the appearance of the Sun at solar minimum (left, Dec. 2019) versus solar maximum (right, May 2024). These images are in the 171 wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light, which reveals the active regions on the Sun that are more common during solar maximum. (Video: NASA/SDO)
Potentially stronger geomagnetic storms are likely as Earth heads into the new year.
NOAA and NASA revealed the Sun reached solar maximum, a period of peak sunspot activity in its 11-year cycle. However, space weather experts said peak activity is expected to continue into 2025.