Northern Lights to be seen in New York this week

On August 14 and 15, the Sun ejected two clouds of plasma. This can cause beautiful northern lights, and they can be observed much further south than usual, including in New York, reports Space.

Solar activity can lead to the appearance of the northern lights over the northern states of the United States on August 17 and 18 - at the moment when a plasma cloud will fall on Earth.

Two coronal mass ejections (CMEs), charged particles from the Sun's upper atmosphere, erupted from the Sun on August 14 and 15. As CMEs travel the 93 miles (000 million kilometers) between a star and our planet, they can devour each other to create a single, super-powerful CME. CME cannibalization occurs when the Sun fires two eruptions within a short amount of time. Moreover, the second of the two is more energetic and faster than the first, and therefore can “catch up” and partially absorb the first surge.

Double CME is expected to reach Earth on August 18 and trigger the Northern Lights

They will be visible as far south as New York and as far north as England.

CMEs are relatively common and often ejected from active regions of the Sun where intense magnetic field lines are tangled and twisted. When these magnetic field lines suddenly shift, a huge amount of energy is released in the form of radiation and plasma.

The ground is not always in the path of the CME. But when it does, these clouds of charged gas can disrupt our planet's magnetic field, causing problems with some of today's technology. While most people will not experience any noticeable change with moderate strength CME, some may experience headaches and dizziness.

On the subject: 11 lakes near New York for the perfect summer getaway

Auroras are a by-product of geomagnetic storms caused by the interaction between the Earth's magnetic field and the Sun's magnetized plasma. In addition to these mesmerizing phenomena, geomagnetic storms can also cause power outages. As well as disruption of satellite communications and radio communications. The National Weather Service of the United Kingdom predicts that the upcoming geomagnetic storm will be minor.

There are currently five sunspot regions on the visible disk of the Sun. And they generate solar flares, bursts of electromagnetic radiation that also affect the Earth. Unlike CMEs, solar flares reach the planet at the speed of light. And that means the forecasters here can't give advance warning.

Three medium-class flares have occurred in the most active sunspot region in the past 24 hours. They caused minor radio outages. Space weather forecasters expect more outbreaks in the coming days. In addition to the two CMEs, there is also an increase in the solar wind coming from the coronal hole. This should enhance the auroras.