The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a 48-hour magnetic storm watch. By U.S. clocks, the watch began late in the day on October 28, 2021, following an X-flare from a solar active region (AR2887) that took place at 15:35 UTC. The blast created a massive wave of plasma that rippled across the sun’s disk. SpaceWeather.com said a strong G3-class geomagnetic storm is possible on October 30 (that might be Saturday morning, October 30). That’s when the coronal mass ejection (CME) from yesterday’s X1 flare should begin striking Earth’s magnetic field. SpaceWeather said:
Such storms can spark auroras visible to the unaided eye as far south as Illinois and Oregon (typically 50 degrees geomagnetic latitude) and photographic auroras at even lower latitudes. Lesser G1 and G2-class storms could persist through Halloween as Earth passes through the CME’s wake.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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