Severe G4 geomagnetic storm

Monday, 12 August 2024 15:11 UTC

The north-south direction of the IMF (Bz) is now consistently southwards as the core of a coronal mass ejection passes our planet which brings this stable southward pointing Bz component ranging from -17nT to now -13nT. A southward (negative) pointing Bz component of the interplanetary field interacts well with Earth's magnetic field which makes it easier for solar wind particles to penetrate our atmosphere near the poles and this causes the gorgeous northern and southern lights. High latitude sky watchers and middle latitude sky watchers should be alert for aurora as soon as darkness falls.