Solar Storms to Bring Northern Lights as Far South as Alabama and Northern California: What to Expect

Northern California, California, USA United States of America
A series of powerful solar events is expected to result in northern lights being visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California this weekend.
Disturbances of the Earth's magnetic field will likely result in communication disruptions and possible power outages over the weekend.
NOAA predicts a severe geomagnetic storm (G4 level) late Friday into early Saturday morning due to these CMEs.
The sun is currently in an increased period of activity in its 11-year solar cycle.
To increase your chances of seeing the northern lights, head to a remote, high-elevation area away from urban activity.
Solar Storms to Bring Northern Lights as Far South as Alabama and Northern California: What to Expect

A series of powerful solar events is expected to result in northern lights being visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California this weekend. The phenomenon, known as auroras, occurs when charged particles from the sun meet the Earth's magnetic field and enter the atmosphere. This interaction creates a stunning display of lights in the night sky.

The solar activity is being fueled by several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that have been hurtling toward Earth over the past few days. NOAA predicts a severe geomagnetic storm (G4 level) late Friday into early Saturday morning due to these CMEs, which could make the northern lights more intense and visible further south than usual.

The sun is currently in an increased period of activity in its 11-year solar cycle. NASA explains that when it reaches its maximum, scientists see a lot of sunspots and CMEs, which cause the storms. Initially, there were five CMEs identified, but what NASA described as a 'cannibal storm' gobbled up another one and they clumped together.

The northern lights are not only a beautiful sight but can also have practical implications. Because of the intensity of the storms, it's likely that disturbances of the Earth's magnetic field will result in communication disruptions and possible power outages over the weekend. However, these impacts should recover quickly.

To increase your chances of seeing the northern lights, head to a remote, high-elevation area away from urban activity like Mount Hamilton, Mount Diablo or Chabot. Look toward the north and let your eyes adjust to the darkness for several hours.

The sunspot AR3664 is one of the largest seen in decades and is nearly 200,000 km wide - about 15 Earths in size. This massive sunspot has been spitting out X-class and M-class solar flares, which are the most powerful ones.

It's important to note that while northern lights can be a fascinating sight, they should not be taken lightly. The intense magnetic fields associated with these storms can disrupt satellite communication and power systems. Voltage irregularities in power grids could lead to blackouts or even fires in extreme cases.

Historically, tree rings and ice cores provide evidence of much larger solar superstorms in the past, including the great Carrington Event in 1859. This event caused widespread telegraph outages and even set some telegraph offices on fire due to sparks igniting paper records.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • The exact location of the northern lights' visibility may vary.
  • The intensity and duration of the power outages are uncertain.

Sources

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Severe geomagnetic storm may produce northern lights over Calif.

SFGate Amanda Bartlett Friday, 10 May 2024 01:16
  • Unique Points
    • Auroras could be visible over most of the northern half of the United States, from as far south as Alabama to Northern California
    • Four coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have been hurtling toward Earth over the past few days and are expected to arrive by Friday afternoon and remain through Sunday
    • Charged particles from the sun meet the Earth’s magnetic field before getting deflected toward the poles, where they enter the atmosphere and produce northern lights
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

"Dancing Loops": NASA Captures Eruptions On Sun, Emission Of Powerful Pair Of Solar Flares

NDTV News Friday, 10 May 2024 03:37
  • Unique Points
    • The Sun unleashed X-class solar flares on May 7 and May 8.
    • NASA captured the moments with two GIFs using the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
    • Solar flares occur when magnetic fields in and around the Sun reconnect.
    • X-class solar flares are the most powerful ones, with strengths ranging from X1 to X9.
    • The number of solar flares increases every 11 years during a solar maximum. There have been 13 X-class solar flares so far this year.
  • Accuracy
    • Auroras could be visible over most of the northern half of the United States, from as far south as Alabama to Northern California.
    • Two severe solar storms are heading towards Earth.
    • Several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have burst outward from the sun and are combining into one large CME.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

81%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

'Severe' solar storm could trigger Northern Lights as far south as Alabama Friday night

Fox Weather Analysis Powered by Fox News Network LLC Hillary Andrews Friday, 10 May 2024 06:17
  • Unique Points
    • The new sunspot is 16 times the diameter of the Earth.
    • Two massive sunspots have merged and spit out at least two X-class and several M-class solar flares.
    • NOAA predicts a glancing blow from a total of five CMEs as early as midday Friday through Sunday.
    • The combined sunspot region (RGN 3664) continues to grow and increase in magnetic complexity, posing a higher threat of increased solar flare risk.
    • Tree rings and ice cores are evidence of much larger solar superstorms in the past, including the great Carrington Event in 1859.
  • Accuracy
    • Two severe solar storms are heading towards Earth.
    • NOAA upgraded a geomagnetic solar storm watch from level 3 to level 4.
    • Several solar flares are hurtling towards Earth and expected to combine.
    • Flares are when the sun brightens and we see the radiation, while coronal mass ejections can cause geomagnetic storms.
    • NOAA warns of a wide area blackout of high frequency radio communications for hours and potential power outages, voltage irregularities, satellite communication issues, and GPS system errors.
    • Residents as far south as northern California, Oklahoma, Alabama and Virginia could see the Northern Lights.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article makes several statements that are sensational and lack context. For example, the title states that 'Severe solar storm could trigger Northern Lights as far south as Alabama Friday night.' However, the article later states that 'Residents as far south as northern California, Oklahoma, Alabama and Virginia could see the Northern Lights.' This is a significant difference in scope and should have been reflected in the title. Additionally, the article makes several statements about the size and power of solar flares without providing any context or references to peer-reviewed studies. For example, it states that 'The biggest X-class flares can produce as much energy as 1 billion atomic bombs.' This statement is not supported by any evidence and is likely to be misleading for readers.
    • Severe solar storm could trigger Northern Lights as far south as Alabama Friday night
    • The biggest X-class flares can produce as much energy as 1 billion atomic bombs.
  • Fallacies (90%)
    The author uses the phrases 'this is an unusual event' and 'watches at this level are very rare' to appeal to the reader's emotions and create a sense of urgency. This is an informal fallacy known as an appeal to emotion or pathos. The author also makes several statements about the size and complexity of sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections without providing any quantifiable data or context to support these claims. This is a form of vague language and can be considered a form of ambiguity fallacy.
    • ][author] This is an unusual event.[/
    • ][author] Watches at this level are very rare.[/
  • Bias (95%)
    The author uses the term 'severe' multiple times to describe the solar storm and geomagnetic storm watch, which could be seen as an attempt to elicit fear or concern from readers. However, this is a common term used in meteorology and space science to describe the intensity of weather events or space phenomena.
    • NOAA has upgraded a geomagnetic solar storm watch from a level 3 ('moderate') to a level 4 ('severe') on Thursday as several solar flares hurtle toward Earth and are expected to combine.
      • This is an unusual event.
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      97%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Giant sunspot could bring northern lights to Massachusetts

      CBS News Site: https://www.cbsnews.com/articles/about-us/ Terry Eliasen, Friday, 10 May 2024 06:17
      • Unique Points
        • A massive sunspot, Sunspot AR3664, is headed towards Earth and is one of the largest seen in decades.
        • NOAA predicts a severe geomagnetic storm (G4 level) late Friday night and early Saturday due to this CME.
      • Accuracy
        • Four coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have been hurtling toward Earth over the past few days and are expected to arrive by Friday afternoon and remain through Sunday.
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      97%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Northern Lights in MN could be very active on Friday due to 'severe' storm

      Fox News Channel FOX 9 Friday, 10 May 2024 06:19
      • Unique Points
        • A G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm is forecasted for late Friday into early Saturday morning by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
        • The aurora may become visible over much of the northern half of the country, including Minnesota and Wisconsin
        • This geomagnetic storm is being fueled by several coronal mass ejections from the sun
      • Accuracy
        • Auroras could be visible over most of the northern half of the United States, from as far south as Alabama to Northern California
        • Two severe solar storms are heading towards Earth.
        • Several solar flares are hurtling towards Earth and expected to combine.
        • NOAA predicts a glancing blow from a total of five CMEs as early as midday Friday through Sunday.
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (95%)
        The author is making several statements about the potential for Northern Lights in Minnesota based on forecasts from NOAA and the National Weather Service. These statements are not fallacious as they are reporting on information provided by reputable sources. The author also includes a quote from NOAA stating that the aurora may be visible in certain areas, which is also not a fallacy. However, the author does use inflammatory rhetoric when describing the geomagnetic storm as 'one of the strongest solar storms we've seen in a decade.' This could be considered an appeal to emotion and would lower the score slightly if it were the only instance of such language. But since it is not repeated throughout the article, and does not significantly impact the overall meaning or accuracy of the information presented, it does not warrant a significant deduction in points.
        • 'one of the strongest solar storms we've seen in a decade'
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication