WEEKEND AURORA WATCH--CONTINUED: Last night's strong geomagnetic storm is over, but another storm could be in the offing. NOAA models suggest that a second CME will graze Earth during the late hours of July 4th. If it makes contact, this CME could cause a G2-class (Moderate) geomagnetic storm. The auroras would not be as bright as last night, but fireworks photos might capture an unusually colorful background. Aurora Alerts: SMS Text
MIDSUMMER GEOMAGNETIC STORM: Midsummer auroras are rare, but last night (July 3/4) they blanketed the USA during a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm. The display was caused by a CME strike on July 3rd, which was hurled in our direction by an X1-class solar flare three days earlier. After the impact, observers in more than 30 US states reported seeing auroras.
"Holy smokes!" says Roger Hill, who photographed the geomagnetic glow through an electrical storm over Bennett, Colorado (+39.8N latitude):
"The geomagnetic storm became strong just as a cluster of severe thunderstorms formed east of our house," says Hill. "The result? A *really cool* photo-op."
We've also received reports from New Mexico, Kentucky, Utah, Colorado, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, Idaho, Virginia, Wyoming, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada, California, Arizona--and almost every northern-tier state near the US-Canadian border.
It is unusual to have such a strong display so close to the summer solstice. Two reasons: (1) Short summer nights narrow the observing window. Persistent twilight can make even the strongest auroras impossible to see. (2) Auroras dislike solstices. The same Russell-McPherron Effect that boosts auroras around equinoxes also suppresses auroras around solstices. It took an "X-class CME" to overcome these obstacles.
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