Solar Storm Could Spark Northern Lights Tomorrow; Aurora Borealis May Be Visible As Sun Enters Solar Minimum

The Sun is said to have been going towards a state called the 'Solar Minimum' or going by the current situation, a 'Solar Lockdown'. Sunspot counts which were quite high in 2014 are going to a low point in 2019-2020. The space weather forecasters expect a solar storm that could spark northern lights or the Aurora Lights. According to Dean Pesnell of Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center, a solar minimum is "a regular part of the sunspot cycle". While sunspots and flares occur less, scientists at NASA say, the sun doesn’t become dull. According to experts, solar activity simply changes form. Solar storms occur when holes form in the atmosphere of the sun release particles that travel across the Solar System and those particles are making way to Earth, hitting the planet with solar winds. Solar Minimum May Cause Freezing Temperature, Earthquakes and Drought; Know More About 'Sun Lockdown' That Can Make 2020 Unforgettable (Watch Video)

This could then trigger the formation of aurora borealis also known as the northern lights in the northern hemisphere and aurora australis in the southern hemisphere. A hole has opened up in the atmosphere of the Sun letting in a stream of solar winds. Space weather forecasters believe that the solar winds will hit Earth tomorrow leaving the auroras in the upper echelons of the northern hemisphere.

Auroras are just one of the side effects of a solar storm hitting the Earth. Other effects include disruptions in satellite-based technology like mobile phones and GPS navigation. There could also be an overload of electricity in power lines and cause explosions or power outages, however, this happens quite rarely. Solar Minimum Effect on Earth: Will Summer Be Less Hot Because of the Sun ‘Lockdown’? Here’s What You Should Know About the Phenomenon.

Cosmic forecasting site Space Weather said, "A minor stream of solar wind is expected to buffet Earth's magnetic field on May 19th and 20th. The gaseous material is flowing from a small hole in the sun's atmosphere. Geomagnetic unrest could spark polar auroras." The magnetosphere will get bombarded by solar winds making the green lights clear in the sky as that layer of the atmosphere deflects the particles.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had predicted the sun entering 'solar minimum" back in 2017. In a blog post, it wrote, "The sun is heading toward solar minimum now. Sunspot counts were relatively high in 2014, and now they are sliding toward a low point expected in 2019-2020.

Watch NASA's 2017 Video Predicting Solar Minimum:

Reportedly, the status of the Sun has an effect on the intensity and frequency of aurora. The more charged-up the solar wind, the brighter and more frequent becomes the display of Northern Lights and Southern Lights. This also results in a bigger ‘auroral oval’ and makes the lights visible in places they generally don't like the USA and Western Europe. The current solar minimum is part of a longer pattern of wax and wane; it’s believed that the Sun may have been in a magnetic lull for the last 9,000 years at least.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 19, 2020 06:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).