The Sun has been very active over the recent weeks: A week ago, on Thursday 7 October 2024 it produced the biggest flare of the current solar activity cycle of magnitude, X9.1. However, the coronal mass ejection associated to the flare only produced a minor geomagnetic storm once it hit Earth.
A separate solar eruption early on Wednesday 9 2024 October gave rise to much more dramatic effects: although the flare was weaker, X1.8, the eruption hurled an ejection of plasma at 1,500 km/s! This coronal mass ejection hit the Earth’s magnetic field on Thursday 10 October around 3pm, triggering a severe geomagnetic storm, which we could see as a fascinating show of Northern lights, or Aurora Borealis later in the evening and night.
While the storm was not as strong as the one we witnessed in May 2024, Aurora were seen all over UK and in Europe down to Spain and USA, lasting at least until afternoon UK time on Friday. However the UK Met Office forecasts (on 11 October 2024 morning) it to ease to a lower level, so we probably will not get another display this evening (11 October). It might still be a good idea to have a look though!
Photo Credits (top left to right bottom):
Christopher Inman (Bamber Bridge), Christine Craggs (Scotland), Anna Rankin (Preston), Charlotte Proverbs (Beacon Fells), Gordon McKay, Robert Walsh (Barton), Diane Swan (East Sussex), Megan Argo (Cheshire), Joanne Pledger (Wigan), David Liddicott (Cumbria), Emma Glyn (Preston), Brett Patterson (Edinburgh), Anne Harkness (Preston), Derek Ward-Thompson (Preston), Simon Ebo/Charlotte Proverbs (Beacon Fells; last 7 pics)