Nevada County Calif. May 11, 2024 – Thank you to all our readers who sent us their photos from last night’s celestial spectacle. The G5 geomagnetic storm produced aurora borealis that could be seen throughout much of the country. Here are some of the photos you shared.
More photos from Friday night
The aurora was at times visible to the naked eye, but using your phone camera, as suggested in our story by a space weather expert, really amplified the light.
Solar storms are forecast to continue, with fluctuations in strength expected. Currently, SWPC is forecasting strong (G3) geomagnetic storms through May 13th.
Chances for a repeat event tonight are slim, but the Space Weather Prediction Center reports that X-class flares continue to occur from the very active sunspot that is approximately 16 times the diameter of Earth.
If the geomagnetic field is active, then the aurora will be brighter and further from the poles. Geomagnetic activity is driven by solar activity and solar coronal holes and thus it waxes and wanes with time. The level of geomagnetic activity is indicated by the planetary K index or Kp. The Kp index ranges from 0 to 9. Yesterday evening’s event reached Kp9, tonight is forecast to be Kp8.
