March could be an active month for northern lights displays
ABC News • • science
Key Points:
- March presents a favorable period for viewing northern lights due to increased solar activity and the upcoming spring equinox, which enhances aurora likelihood.
- A forecasted G1 geomagnetic storm for Friday was cancelled, but solar wind from a negative polarity coronal hole high-speed stream remains a key source of auroral activity.
- The spring equinox on March 20 facilitates geomagnetic storms through the Russell-McPherron Effect, where opposing magnetic fields from Earth and the sun create openings in Earth's magnetosphere, allowing solar wind to trigger auroras.
- Visibility of northern lights depends on factors such as the arrival and orientation of solar wind streams and local weather conditions, with optimal viewing times between 10 p.m. and 4
