This week has been delight for amateur and professional photographers thanks to a powerful geomagnetic storm. Scientists have issued a rare G4 geomagnetic storm warning, meaning the northern lights will be much more vivid on Wednesday than normal. The geomagnetic storm is due to energy eruptions on the sun, usually referred to as “coronal mass ejections,” that will reach Earth this week causing stunning northern lights.
The geomagnetic scale is rated from G1 (weakest) to G5 (strongest). Tuesday’s rating by scientists was G3 (strong) and Wednesday was rated a G4 thanks in part to the intensity of the the coronal mass ejections. When charged particles from the sun mix with gasses in Earth’s atmosphere, it creates a stunning light show that will be best viewed on the prairies this week.
Photo by Cody Glydon
While the light show may be beautiful, a G4 storm can cause problems on electrical grids, GPS errors, and create operational issues for both radio and satellites. According to experts from the Weather Network, the peak period for the geomagnetic storm on Wednesday will be occurring between 9am and 1pm Saskatchewan time, however it’s expected to be less intense tonight, dropping to G3 on the scale.
The northern lights will be visible across a wide swath of North America including in the southern US, but the best shows will be on the prairies, northern Canada, and northern Ontario.
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