Aurora borealis viewable as far south as Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and certain northern regions of the United States.
Due to a “rare reversed sunspot” causing geomagnetic storms, it is anticipated that the aurora borealis will be visible across nearly all of Canada in the coming days. This could result in the northern lights extending further south than usual, with cities like Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal possibly witnessing the spectacle.
The Weather Network reported that the reversed polarity of the rare sunspot has triggered a solar storm, or coronal mass ejection, which can interact with Earth’s magnetic field to cause geomagnetic storms. Stronger geomagnetic storms typically lead to more vibrant displays of the northern lights that can spread further south.
The Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has published an aurora forecast for the upcoming days, indicating that a “strong” G3 geomagnetic storm is likely to transpire on May 11, Thursday.
On Friday, May 12, both G2 and G1 geomagnetic storms categorized as “moderate” and “minor” respectively, are forecasted to occur.
However, on Saturday, May 13, the impact of the coronal mass ejection is expected to diminish, resulting in unsettled to active levels of geomagnetic activity.
On May 12, Friday, there will be two geomagnetic storms, with G2 classified as “moderate” and G1 as “minor.” Following this, on May 13, Saturday, the impact of the coronal mass ejection is predicted to decrease, resulting in a level of geomagnetic activity ranging from unsettled to active.
