Overview
- NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center put out a geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday and Friday warning of possible strong (G3) to severe (G4) conditions that could push visible auroras well into mid-latitudes.
- Forecasters say a cluster of disturbances — a coronal mass ejection from late May, a co-rotating interaction region, a high-speed solar wind stream and X-class flares on June 3 — may arrive in close succession and reinforce geomagnetic effects.
- Final determination of whether storms intensify hinges on the southward component of the interplanetary magnetic field, called Bz, which can only be confirmed by NOAA's DSCOVR satellite and typically gives forecasters only tens of minutes' warning.
- Chances to see the aurora will be limited for many observers because a bright waning gibbous moon and the very short, twilight-filled nights near the June solstice will wash out faint displays.
- Stronger geomagnetic storms can disrupt power grids, harm satellites and raise radiation risk for astronauts, and elevated auroral activity has been more common since the 2024 solar maximum with 2026 remaining active.