Strong solar storm could disrupt communications and produce northern lights in US

2024-12-24 10:54:52 source: category:News

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — An unusually strong solar storm headed toward Earth could produce northern lights in the U.S. and potentially disrupt communications this weekend.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a rare geomagnetic storm watch — the first in nearly 20 years. The watch starts Friday and lasts all weekend.

NOAA said the sun produced strong solar flares beginning Wednesday, resulting in five outbursts of plasma capable of disrupting satellites in orbit and power grids here on Earth. Each eruption — known as a coronal mass ejection — can contain billions of tons of solar plasma.

NOAA is calling this an unusual event, pointing out that the flares seem to be associated with a sunspot that’s 16 times the diameter of Earth. An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003 took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.

The latest storm could produce northern lights as far south in the U.S. as Alabama and Northern California, according to NOAA.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

More:News

Recommend

Cleveland Browns’ Hakeem Adeniji Shares Stillbirth of Baby Boy Days Before Due Date

Hakeem Adeniji has experienced a devastating loss.The Cleveland Browns’ offensive tackle shared that

Huddle Up to See Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey's Cute Couple Photos

Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey are a match straight out of a championship playbook.In fact, th

Don't Pass Up the Chance to See the Sweetest Photos of 49ers' Brock Purdy and Fiancée Jenna Brandt

Brock Purdy is living proof that size doesn't matter when it comes to your draft number. Because nea