Massive solar flares to trigger beautiful auroras in these parts of US

The Sun has released intense solar flares that could trigger a massive geomagnetic storm in Earth’s magnetic field. This could turn into bright aurora displays on Earth specifically in parts of the United States on Tuesday (Jan 23), as per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.

The auroras are predicted to be seen best in the northern and upper Midwest states of the US. Apart from the US states, auroral activity can also be seen in Alaska and Canada on Tuesday night, according to near-real-time aurora forecast projections from NOAA.

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Why is Sun releasing intense solar flares?

According to experts at the Space Weather Prediction Center, solar flares are released due to solar eruptions inside the Sun. This eruption occurs due to the Solar Cycle that occurs rapidly inside the Sun. As per experts, this Solar Cycle officially began in 2019.

The peak of this solar eruption, known as solar maximum, is expected to arrive in October 2024, as per Live Science’s prediction.

However, the Space Weather Prediction Center said that the peak of the solar eruption could arrive sooner than expected and would be more explosive than thought earlier.

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During this peak, "we should expect to see more sunspots, each of which is a region of intense magnetic activity capable of producing solar flares and coronal mass ejections," said NOAA.

The solar activity is expected to last several years and will not harm humans, but could trigger strong space weather events that will disrupt radio and satellite infrastructure.

How do solar flares generate geomagnetic storms that could trigger aurora displays?

Solar flares are intense bursts of electromagnetic radiation that are generated in the Sun’s atmosphere. These flares can release magnetised plasma bubbles into space, which are known as coronal mass ejections (CME).

These highly energetic clouds expand outward and try to slam into Earth’s magnetosphere. The magnetosphere is the magnetic field that envelops our planet and protects the surface from the most severe space weather.

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This collision can cause a geomagnetic storm, which can produce auroral displays due to CME’s energised particles, which have ionised oxygen and nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere.

These storms can sometimes interfere with satellites but cause no harm to humans. They can simply enjoy the aurora sighting in bright displays.

Several forecasts have suggested that the US states of Vermont, Minnesota and Wisconsin have the highest chance of spotting these dancing lights.

(With inputs from agencies)