Blast of energy from the sun triggers ongoing geomagnetic storm

An ongoing Geomagnetic Storm Warning was extended through Tuesday after a blast of energetic particles from the Sun reached Earth.

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a Geomagnetic Storm Warning for Monday night into Tuesday and later extended it through Tuesday night.

The warning was triggered by a coronal mass ejection (CME), charged particles from the Sun reaching Earth’s atmosphere overnight on Monday.

CMEs usually take about three days to reach Earth after departing the Sun. 

The SWPC rates solar storms on a five-level scale, with five being the most extreme and rarest space weather conditions.

Minor, Level 1 out of 5, geomagnetic storming is possible on Tuesday.

The SWPC said it issued a Level 1 warning because the CME “lacked the necessary magnetic field orientation to ramp up to higher than G1 levels.”

Minor geomagnetic storms are common. 

According to NASA, nearly 40 CMEs occurred last week, but most did not cause space weather impacts on Earth.

A minor geomagnetic storm can trigger vivid displays of Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, in Canada and Alaska.

The current space weather forecast could include impacts outside the Northern Lights, including weak power grid fluctuations.

Potentially stronger geomagnetic storms are likely as Earth heads into the new year. 

NOAA and NASA revealed the Sun reached solar maximum, a period of peak sunspot activity in its 11-year cycle.

However, space weather experts said peak activity is expected to continue into 2025.