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Geomagnetic storm means Oregon and 21 other states could get a chance to see the northern lights Tuesday


Geomagnetic storm means Oregon and 21 other states could get a chance to see the northern lights Tuesday

The northern half of the country is once again in line for a nighttime light show.

Just like last week, a geomagnetic storm is bringing an eruption of charged particles and magnetic fields from the sun to Earth.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center, many people across the United States could see northern lights on Tuesday, with the possibility of more to come.

People in 22 states - Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine - could have a chance to see the auroras.

But that's not the end of it. The weather in space could deliver even more this week for dedicated sky-watchers.

A major solar flare was detected Tuesday, and according to the Space Weather Prediction Center, it is "one of the strongest flares of the cycle."

Earth is in the midst of the "solar maximum" of solar cycle 25, which is an approximately 11-year cycle of magnetic activity coming from the sun. Solar maximum will last into 2026.

According to Spaceweather.com, that flare caused "a deep shortwave radio blackout over southern Africa."

The charged particles and magnetic fields from that eruption are expected to reach Earth on Wednesday, leading to a "Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch" from the Space Weather Prediction Center.

While severe watches are rare, several have been issued so far in this solar maximum.

When the ejection washes over Earth Wednesday, most people won't notice any effects. However, it could impact high-voltage transmission lines for the power grid and cause issues with satellites, which would then pose a problem for communication and navigation.

It's possible to mitigate these impacts, however, with advance notice.

A severe geomagnetic storm during Halloween in 2003 disrupted GPS, satellite TV and radio services.

Another impact could be an even wider viewing area of the auroras on Wednesday night. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, northern lights could be visible as far south as Alabama and California.

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