Supercharged auroras possible this weekend as colossal 'hole' in the sun spews solar wind toward Earth

LazyHippo · January 5

Fast solar wind from a massive coronal hole in the sun could trigger dazzling auroral displays this weekend. (Image credit: Left image: NOAA, right image: Canva Pro)

A massive coronal hole has formed in the sun's atmosphere, unleashing a powerful stream of solar wind toward Earth. Nearby, a second, slightly smaller coronal hole is also directing solar wind our way.

There is a great chance of strong northern lights, especially at high latitudes this weekend. Recent solar activity has prompted the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center to issue a minor G1 geomagnetic storm warning for Jan. 4 and Jan. 5.

For an up-to-date breakdown of geomagnetic activity over the next 3 days, check out NOAA's SWPC 3-day forecast:

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/3-day-forecast

NOAA classifies geomagnetic storms using a G-scale, which ranks their intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). The recent geomagnetic storm watch NOAA issued is rated as a G1.

Coronal holes appear as dark areas in the sun's corona — the outer atmosphere — when viewed in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray imagery, according to NOAA. These 'holes' appear dark because they are cooler than the surrounding material. Coronal holes allow solar wind to escape from the sun more readily, resulting in streams of relatively fast solar wind. When directed at Earth, these solar wind streams can interact with our planet's magnetic field and trigger geomagnetic storm conditions.