Top 5 Things You Need to Know About This Week’s Geomagnetic Storm
- The Sun just unleashed a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) directly at Earth, triggering a geomagnetic storm that could produce stunning auroras visible as far south as Alabama and California tonight.
- This storm is classified as a G3 on the 1-to-5 severity scale, meaning it can cause temporary GPS errors, satellite glitches, and power grid fluctuations, though no major outages are expected.
- To catch the Northern Lights, step outside after sunset, away from city lights, look toward the northern horizon, and use your phone camera: it can see colors your naked eye might miss.
- If you rely on satellite internet like Starlink, expect possible slowdowns or brief blackouts during peak storm hours between 11 PM and 3 AM local time.
- Unlike solar flares, which can harm astronauts and electronics, this geomagnetic storm is safe for humans on the ground, so grab a blanket, head outside, and enjoy the celestial show responsibly.