It appears that the chances are low in Tennessee, but an aurora may be visible in the sky over the northern half of the country this weekend, and possibly as far south as Alabama.
The National Weather Service Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a watch for a severe geomagnetic storm, saying it is possible later in the day Friday and continuing through the weekend. At least seven Earth-directed coronal mass ejections are in transit, the NWS said.
However, “exact timing remains somewhat uncertain,” forecasters said.
A coronal mass ejection is a solar eruption. When the solar materials arrive at Earth, a geomagnetic storm can result.
“Watches at this level are very rare,” the NWS said.
It’s the first severe geomagnetic storm watch since 2005. A severe geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance in Earth’s magnetic field. The public should stay informed by visiting the Space Weather Prediction Center website.
During the geomagnetic storm, an aurora may be visible over much of the northern half of the United States and possibly as far south as Alabama to northern California. An aurora is a natural electrical phenomenon characterized by shimmering red and green lights in the upper atmosphere at night, usually near the northern or southern magnetic pole. They happen when energetic particles from the sun interact with atoms in the upper atmosphere.
The probability of seeing the aurora in Tennessee appears to be less than 10 percent, according to the SWPC forecast. But the forecast for Friday night calls for mostly clear skies, so the public will at least be able to check.
To learn more, visit the NWS Space Weather Prediction Center. The website includes information about technology effects.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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