High-speed solar wind from coronal hole expected to result in auroras on March 14-15

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center reports that a stream of fast solar wind is expected to arrive later today or tomorrow as a result of a lengthy coronal hole on the Sun rotating into a favorable position. This may result in minor (G1) geomagnetic storm conditions today and tomorrow (March 14), with effects expected to last till Sunday (March 15) before gradually declining.

The enhanced solar wind conditions may also result in the visibility of northern lights in high-latitude regions like Alaska, northern Canada, northern Scotland, and northern Scandinavia, where the skies are clear. As far as the Southern Hemisphere is concerned, auroras might be visible from the far south of New Zealand. The Sun continuously spews charged particles into the solar system. When these particles interact with Earth's magnetic field, they deposit a lot of energy there. Auroras are formed when this energy is released and rains down on our atmosphere.

The coronal hole at the center of all the predictions is a recurring feature in that it was present in the last rotation as well, about 27 days ago. However, last time around, it was also accompanied by a weak coronal mass ejection (CME)— a large burst of plasma and magnetic field from the corona—which heightened its effects here on Earth. If a CME is confirmed this time as well, the geomagnetic activity could become even more pronounced.

For the uninitiated, coronal holes are areas in the Sun's corona that are dark, cooler, and less dense than their surrounding plasma, indicating regions of open magnetic fields. They can develop anywhere on the Sun at any time and often persist through several 27-day rotational periods, as is the case with this one. They are usually associated with G1 or G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storms but can, on occasion, result in higher storm levels as well. A G1 storm, like the one predicted to persist over the weekend, can impact power grids and satellites, albeit weakly. 

While the influence of the coronal high-speed streams is expected to ease on Sunday, and no Earth-directed coronal mass ejection has been detected yet, the U.K. Met Office forecasts a low risk of slight peripheral influence into 16 March. 

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