A CANNIBAL CME IS COMING: NOAA models confirm that a Cannibal CME will strike our planet on Dec. 1st. Cannibal CMEs form when a fast CME sweeps up a slower CME ahead of it. The combination contains intense, tangled magnetic fields that can do a good job sparking auroras when they reach Earth. If a Cannibal CME strikes Earth on Dec. 1st, as predicted, geomagnetic storm levels could reach category G3 (Strong). Aurora alerts: SMS Text
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A STRONG GEOMAGNETIC STORM? Earth could experience a strong (G3) geomagnetic storm this week. If so, here's what we can expect. The last G3-class storm on Nov. 5th sparked not only bright auroras, but also deep-red SAR arcs around the world. Greg Redfern photographed this example from the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia:
"I didn't realize I had photographed an SAR arc until I processed my images the next day, stitching two of them together to reveal its shape," says Redfern.
SAR arcs look like auroras, but they are not. They are the glow of heat energy leaking into the upper atmosphere from Earth's ring current system–a donut-shaped circuit carrying millions of amps around our planet. During the Nov. 5th geomagnetic storm, these red arcs were observed as far south as Texas and California.
Auroras were observed as well -- "and they were INSANE," says Janne Maj Nagelsen, who watched the display from Stamnes, Vaksdal, Norway:
"I have never seen such strong auroras," says Nagelsen. "Not to mention the colors. I mean look at the picture! They were totally, literally insane."
Auroras are caused by charged particles raining from space down upon Earth's atmosphere. Unlike SAR arcs, which are pure red, auroras can have a rich and stunning variety of colors. Both phenomena may be photographed on Dec. 1, 2023, when a Cannibal CME is expected to hit Earth.
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