March 17, 2015

Aurora possibly visible tonight in Philly

By Daniel Craig
PhillyVoice Staff

Space Weather Prediction Center/NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

A G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm was observed on March 17, 2015.

While you may spend most of tonight face-down in a Guinness, there might be reason to look up to the skies.

A geomagnetic storm, classified as "severe," was observed by forecasters National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, caused by coronal mass ejections that came from the sun.

The Inquirer's weather columnist Tony Wood spoke to a scientist about the storm's "Kp Index," which measures how far the subsequent aurora borealis (aka the northern lights) and its visibility will extend tonight:

The index has backed off a bit, but remains strong, said Bob Rutledge, a space-center scientist, and it's "very possible" that the aurora will be visible in the Philadelphia region after dark.

"It's as good as chance as any in the last few years, and maybe even in the years to come," said Rutledge. He added that it is difficult to forecast just how long the aurora would be visible.

The potential beauty doesn't come without some risks for important satellite systems. As the Washington Post reports, while there haven't been any major negative affects from the storm yet, there could still be some issues:

The Space Weather Prediction Center has received no reports of negative impacts thus far, and there are no indications of a radiation storm that would impact satellite electronics and high-latitude flights. However, there could be some disruption in GPS technology and satellite navigation.

Seeing the Northern Lights isn't a guarantee in Philly tonight, but we can cross our fingers that we'll be graced with something like this on the tail end of St. Patrick's Day: