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Am I correct this potentially weaken our shielding against charged particles coming from the Sun? And if so, is it opening the possibility of having northern l

Am I correct this potentially weaken our shielding against charged particles coming from the Sun? And if so, is it opening the possibility of having northern lights in the middle of the Atlantic?

trail-system 6y ago
From NOAA (https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/aurora https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/aurora) When space weather activity increases and more frequent and larger storms and substorms occur, the aurora extends equatorward. During large events, the aurora can be observed as far south as the US, Europe, and Asia. During very large events, the aurora can be observed even farther from the poles.
- simias 6y ago
  That's a very weird and not very precise way to word this. Of course I would expect auroras to be regularly visible in the far northern parts of the USA and Europe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Kp_Map_North_America.gif https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Kp_Map_North_Ameri... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Kp_Map_Eurasia.gif https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Kp_Map_Eurasia.gif Now if you start seeing Auroras in Lisbon or Miami please let me know!
  - iso947 6y ago
    Auroras were seen in Baltimore and Perth (Australia) during the Carrington event in 1859, around Lisbon’s latitude (both north and south)
  - contravariant 6y ago
    Lisbon would be worrying but Miami would be catastrophic. Portugal might be more northern than you think. It's only just south of Toronto.
  - zipwitch 6y ago
    Obligatory xkcd: https://xkcd.com/2233/ https://xkcd.com/2233/
trianglesphere 6y ago
Yes, but it's very localized. The magnetic field of earth is typically modeled as a dipole where the magnetic field strength is the same as you go around the equator at the same altitude. Maybe with northern lights over equator, I'd have to think about it more, but it's odd to think of an aurora where the magnetic field lines are parallel with the ground rather than normal to the ground (particles are much more mobile along field lines rather than across field lines in plasmas).

Am I correct this potentially weaken our shielding against charged particles coming from the Sun? And if so, is it opening the possibility of having northern lights in the middle of the Atlantic?

trail-system 6y ago

From NOAA (https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/aurora https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/aurora) When space weather activity increases and more frequent and larger storms and substorms occur, the aurora extends equatorward. During large events, the aurora can be observed as far south as the US, Europe, and Asia. During very large events, the aurora can be observed even farther from the poles.

simias 6y ago
That's a very weird and not very precise way to word this. Of course I would expect auroras to be regularly visible in the far northern parts of the USA and Europe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Kp_Map_North_America.gif https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Kp_Map_North_Ameri... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Kp_Map_Eurasia.gif https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Kp_Map_Eurasia.gif Now if you start seeing Auroras in Lisbon or Miami please let me know!
- iso947 6y ago
  Auroras were seen in Baltimore and Perth (Australia) during the Carrington event in 1859, around Lisbon’s latitude (both north and south)
- contravariant 6y ago
  Lisbon would be worrying but Miami would be catastrophic. Portugal might be more northern than you think. It's only just south of Toronto.
- zipwitch 6y ago
  Obligatory xkcd: https://xkcd.com/2233/ https://xkcd.com/2233/

trianglesphere 6y ago

Yes, but it's very localized. The magnetic field of earth is typically modeled as a dipole where the magnetic field strength is the same as you go around the equator at the same altitude. Maybe with northern lights over equator, I'd have to think about it more, but it's odd to think of an aurora where the magnetic field lines are parallel with the ground rather than normal to the ground (particles are much more mobile along field lines rather than across field lines in plasmas).