CME impacts Earth, sparking G3 – Strong geomagnetic storm and widespread red aurora

A coronal mass ejection (CME) produced by a filament eruption early Sunday, September 8, 2024, hit Earth on September 12, sparking G3 – Strong geomagnetic storming and widespread red aurora.

G1 – Minor geomagnetic storm threshold was reached at 07:55 UTC followed by G2 – Moderate at 11:28 UTC and G3 – Strong at 14:43 UTC.

“Infrastructure operators have been notified to mitigate any possible impacts,” SWPC said.

G3 – Strong geomagnetic storm primarily impacts areas poleward of 50 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude. Power systems in these regions may experience voltage irregularities, potentially causing false alarms in some protection devices due to induced currents.

Spacecraft may face surface charging, increased drag on low Earth orbit satellites, and orientation challenges. Satellite navigation (GPS) systems can be intermittently affected, leading to loss of lock and increased range errors.

High-frequency (HF) radio communications may also become unreliable, while auroras may be visible as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Oregon.

Dr. Tony Phillips of SpaceWeather.com is reporting widespread red aurora deep inside the United States as a result of this storm.

From Owens Valley Radio Observatory near Bishop, California, Ross Stone captured these magnificent images:

Adding to the global impact of this storm, the following image was captured from Strezhevoy in Russia’s Tomsk Oblast:

Solar activity was at high levels over the past 36 hours, with several notable solar flares, including M5.0, X1.3, and M6.8.

WSA Enlil model shows two CMEs still heading toward Earth, with impact expected on September 13 and 14.

Solar activity is expected to continue at moderate to high levels, with a 60% chance of M-class solar flares on September 12, 13, and 14. Additionally, there is a 15% chance of X-class flares occurring on each of these days.