Geomagnetic storm hits Earth creating northern lights, disrupting radio communications

The geomagnetic storm is expected to continue into Monday, potentially disrupting radio communications but allowing for spectacular aurora viewing.

These high frequency radio transmissions also include aircraft attempting to communicate with control towers far away.

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado, announced it will be monitoring geomagnetic storms on Sunday and Monday, saying a “coronal mass ejection” (CME) is headed toward Earth. A CME involves the release of large amounts of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun, which reach Earth within 15 to 18 hours.

Still, the center said there was no cause for alarm. Jonathan Rush, the center’s forecaster, said most commercial aircraft can use satellite communications as a backup.

Satellite operators may have trouble tracking the spacecraft, and power grids may also experience some “induced currents” in their power lines, though nothing they can’t handle, he said.

Due to the solar eclipse on April 8, some schools in the U.S. will be closed that day

“For the general public, if it’s a clear night at high latitudes, it’s a great opportunity to see the sky light up,” Rush said.

Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic field reverses. This means that the positions of her north and south poles of the sun will be swapped. Solar activity changes during its cycle and we are now nearing its most active period, called solar maximum.

At times like this, Rush said, geomagnetic storms of the type that arrived Sunday can hit the Earth several times a year. During solar minimum, storms can take years to form.

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state was expecting impacts until 2 a.m. Monday.

“While there have been no reported disruptions to the power grid or wireless communications, state officials are actively monitoring and coordinating with industry stakeholders and the federal government,” Hochul said.