Top 5 Things You Need to Know About This Weekend's Historic Geomagnetic Storm
- Northern lights visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California. The rare G5-level geomagnetic storm is causing the aurora borealis to dip into latitudes not seen for over two decades, turning night skies into a neon canvas of pinks, greens, and purples.
- Power grid operators are on high alert. This geomagnetic storm is the most intense since the 2003 Halloween storms, with space weather experts warning of potential voltage control problems and transformer damage across northern parts of the U.S.
- Satellites and GPS systems could experience major disruptions. The charged particles are swelling the atmosphere, causing drag on low-Earth orbit satellites and degrading navigation accuracy for farmers, pilots, and delivery drones.
- Your phone signal might act weird. The geomagnetic storm is disrupting the ionosphere, which can cause radio blackouts and intermittent cell service, especially in high-latitude regions, so don't be alarmed if your call drops.
- Best viewing tip: Look up right after sunset. To catch the aurora, step outside around dusk, away from city lights, and point your camera to the northern horizon—phone cameras often see the colors even when eyes can't, making this a viral moment you won't want to miss.