Giant ‘Hole’ in the Sun’s Atmosphere Set to Bring Stunning Auroras Across Parts of US

Tourists photograph the Northern Lights at lake Thingvellir, Iceland, on Jan. 13, 2016. (Halldor Kolbeins/AFP via Getty Images)

A giant “hole” in the sun’s atmosphere may produce stunning light shows in the Earth’s skies that can be seen across New York to Idaho starting from March 24, according to experts.

A report by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states that an opening in the sun’s magnetic field, also known as a coronal hole, has been observed by experts, which could prompt moderate geomagnetic storms on March 25 and minor geomagnetic storms on March 26.

According to spaceweather.com, a moderate aurora watch is also in effect on Friday, March 24.

“NOAA forecasters say that G2-class (Moderate) geomagnetic storms are possible on March 24th when solar wind flowing from a large hole in the sun’s atmosphere is expected to reach Earth,” experts wrote. “During such storms, auroras have been seen in the USA as far south as, e.g., New York and Idaho.”

Coronal holes are a common part of the sun’s normal activity and are not cause for concern. When they open, they allow for solar wind to rapidly escape into space, which can, in turn, create geomagnetic storms.

Those geomagnetic storms cause a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere, the effects of which can linger for weeks and result in moderate-to-strong auroras that can be viewed on the ground, provided the skies are clear.

Due to their potential to increase geomagnetic activity and possible storming, forecasters analyze coronal holes regularly.

New Phase of Solar Cycle

While they can create stunning light shows in the skies, geomagnetic storms can also interfere with communication satellites and long-distance cables that provide the world with the internet and cause fluctuations in power grids. In some extreme cases, they can prompt power outages.

The NOAA Geomagnetic Storm Scale indicates that a G2-class geomagnetic storm could trigger voltage alarms on high-latitude power systems, while lengthy storms could cause transformer damage.

However, no radio blackout warnings have been put in place for this weekend.

Alex Young, the associate director for science at NASA Goddard’s Heliophysics Science Division, told Business Insider that the current coronal hole measures “about 300,000 to 400,000 kilometers across,” which is equivalent to “about 20-30 Earths lined up back-to-back.”

“We will probably start seeing the effects of the high-speed wind on March 24,” Young added. “When the high-speed wind reaches Earth, the particles and the magnetic field it carries will interact with Earth’s magnetic field, effectively rattling it or like ringing a bell.”

Young noted that we are entering a new phase of increasing solar activity amid the current Solar Cycle 25, which began in 2019, meaning coronal holes will be less frequent. But coronal mass ejections (CMEs)—when a large mass of plasma and highly magnetized particles violently eject from the sun, and powerful solar flares, the largest explosive events in the solar system—will increase.

NASA detected a powerful X2.2 solar flare that erupted from the sun last month, causing temporary blackouts in some parts of the world. They happen when intense magnetic fields on the sun cross or become too tangled, releasing high amounts of radiation into space.

The sun’s 11-year activity cycle is expected to peak around 2025.