Don’t Miss Spectacular Northern Lights on 24 July Across the UK and some US States

On the night of 24 July, residents of the UK and the northern states of the USA may see a fantastic astronomical spectacle — Аurora Borealis. It is a consequence of a powerful outburst of the Sun a few days earlier. However, scientists warn about possible power grid failures and radio communications interference.

Aurora Alert: Powerful Solar Flare to Illuminate Skies

On 21 July, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured a video of two loops of ‘dark’ plasma exploding on the Sun. This phenomenon is called coronal mass ejection (CME) and is a powerful burst of solar wind and magnetic field that are detached from the Sun’s surface and ejected into space. As a result, we may observe the Northern Lights or aurora borealis.

NOAA predicts that this CME will reach Earth on 24 July, and its level of impact will cause a class G2 geomagnetic storm. The level of geomagnetic activity of this class may well trigger the northern lights in more southerly regions, for which such a phenomenon is not typical. Therefore, the aurora borealis can be seen in some northern states of the US. The Met Office also confirmed the possibility of the “auroral displays”, but said they would be limited to certain areas in the UK.

The forecaster explained: “Two Coronal Mass Ejections feature in the forecast, giving a peak chance of Strong Geomagnetic Storm (G3) conditions on Wednesday 24 July. This may result in auroral displays down to Northern Ireland, northern England and similar geomagnetic latitudes, albeit impeded by the near-full moon and limited hours of darkness.”

Solar Eruption to Light Up the UK and Northern US Skies

Apart from being an unforgettable spectacle, this celestial phenomenon can cause many troubles and problems for technical systems. Since this is a magnetic field flux, it can harm the operation of technical devices both on the ground and in orbit. Geomagnetic storms of this magnitude can lead to interruptions in operation and sometimes even failure of satellites in orbit. This, in turn, poses risks to industries that extensively use GPS navigation and satellite communications, such as airlines that monitor such space weather factors very closely, especially near polar regions. This magnetic field flow also affects the ground’s power grid and radio communication systems.

Where and how to see Aurora Borealis

The Aurora Borealis will be visible from 01:00 to 04:00 EDT on 24 July in the northern states of Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Montana, Minnesota, and the northernmost parts of New York and Maine. 

Some lucky UK residents will also be able to see this colourful show in the sky. Cloud cover could also prevent the lights from appearing, with the current forecast predicting a mostly overcast night for the UK. However, if there are breaks in the cloud, the aurora may be visible.

For easy real-time observations of Auroral activity, we recommend using tools such as the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centre’s 30-minute forecast and apps such as My Aurora Forecast & Alerts.