What to Know
- Space weather forecasters say a severe solar storm that hit Earth could have put a stress on power grids even more as the U.S. deals with major back-to-back hurricanes and led to a larger area of visible northern lights.
- A severe geomagnetic storm watch was issued for Thursday into Friday.
- Experts did not expect the storm to surpass the extreme solar storm that hit Earth in May. That one was the strongest to strike in more than two decades.
"Never ever saw the northern lights?" Well, that might have changed Thursday night into Friday morning without even needing to leave the Philadelphia region.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday into Friday after an outburst from the sun was detected earlier this week. Such a storm could temporarily disrupt power and radio signals, but also deliver a colorful sky.
The G4 magnetic storm was forecasted by the Space Weather Prediction Center of the NOAA for Thursday night into early Friday morning. G4 storms in the past have created an aurora "seen as low as Alabama and northern California."
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
This was the second time in less than a week that there was a chance for northern lights this far south.
We could potentially see the Northern Lights again on Friday night about an hour after the sun sets. But, experts say it will be hard to see with your bare eyes. Unique Photo in Philadelphia suggests using a lens.
What's the best way to catch a glimpse of the northern lights near Philadelphia?
In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the coronal mass ejection (CME) allowed for auroras to be visible down to the Philadelphia region, according to SWPC's map.
Folks in the Lehigh Valley, Poconos and less populated Pennsylvania and New Jersey suburbs likely had the best chance to view the aurora since those areas have less light pollution.
Weather Stories
Luckily, skies were clear throughout the region Thursday night, NBC10 First Alert Weather meteorologist Michelle Rotella said. However, folks needed to bundle up as temperatures dipped into the 40s and even 30s overnight.
Skygazers were reminded to point their smartphones upward for photos; the devices often can capture auroras that human eyes cannot.
Photos of the Northern Lights in our region
NBC10 crew shared some images as the Northern Lights could be seen in parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania on Thursday, Oct. 10.
Northern Lights, Millstone NJ. Right now ! pic.twitter.com/YCoTfgXDK4
— Justin Godynick NBC10 (@JGodynick) October 11, 2024
Did you miss it? Might you get a 2nd chance?
Unfortunately, the SWPC's lower line for northern lights being visible overnight Friday into Saturday is well above Pennsylvania and New Jersey. So, it's less likely to see the auroras over Philly, again.
However, it is possible in the middle of the night.
Experts suggest that if you want to see the aurora phenomenon to make sure you steer clear of city lights ojn Thursday night.
What is a geomagnetic storm?
"A geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere that occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth," NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center says. "These storms result from variations in the solar wind that produces major changes in the currents, plasmas, and fields in Earth’s magnetosphere. The solar wind conditions that are effective for creating geomagnetic storms are sustained (for several to many hours) periods of high-speed solar wind, and most importantly, a southward directed solar wind magnetic field (opposite the direction of Earth’s field) at the dayside of the magnetosphere. This condition is effective for transferring energy from the solar wind into Earth’s magnetosphere."
The storms can occur at anytime of day, but are not always visible.
The sun is near the peak of its current 11-year cycle, sparking all the recent solar activity.
Not all is fun with a severe geomagnetic storm as power grids can be affected
NOAA notified operators of power plants and orbiting spacecraft to take precautions. It also alerted the Federal Emergency Management Agency about possible power disruptions, as the organization copes with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene and gears up for Hurricane Milton barreling across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida.
Forecasters did not expect the latest solar storm to surpass the one that slammed Earth in May, the strongest in more than two decades. But they wouldn't know for sure until it's just 1 million miles away, where spacecraft can measure it.
Florida is far enough south to avoid any power disruptions from the solar surge unless it gets a lot bigger, said scientist Rob Steenburgh of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
“That adds a little bit more to the comfort level,” Steenburgh said. "Why we're here is to let them know so that they can prepare."
Experts were more concerned about potential effects to the power grids in areas slammed by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, said NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl.
The storm also had the potential to bring northern lights as far south in the U.S. as the lower Midwest and Northern California, though exact locations and times were uncertain, according to NOAA.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.
