Northern Lights May Shine Brighter Within Next 2 Years, Thanks to the Sun's 'Last Gasp'

The Northern Lights are one of the most mesmerizing natural wonders of our planet. Aerial waves of blue-green light appear across the night sky, gently moving in a graceful pattern. Their ethereal glow is a magical sight to witness. In recent news, experts are now claiming that the Northern Lights, or the Aurora Borealis, are all set to put on an even more spectacular show as the Sun approaches the final years of its current activity cycle. The breathtaking natural spectacle will definitely be a huge not-to-miss moment for the skywatchers.

As reported by Space, the Sun follows an 11-year cycle, reaching a peak period called the solar maximum. This period is marked by intense sunspots and eruptions. A while after this, the sun again calms down to a solar minimum. But on our planet, this solar slowdown isn’t a calm process. After the solar maximum, dark, cooler areas in the sun's atmosphere, called coronal holes, appear more often, sending intense solar wind toward Earth. Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov spoke about this and said, "During the declining phase, we actually have more geomagnetic storms.” She added, “Because you still have coronal holes forming — and you still have quite a few eruptions — when you add the two together, it ends up being more activity at Earth."

When this overlap occurs, Earth’s magnetic field can be hit by different sources at the same time. The storms may not be very strong, but they can last longer. Skov explains that these longer storms give people more chances to see the Northern Lights. Pål Brekke, another solar physicist, previously said, "It's good news for aurora chasers as peak auroral activity occurs a few years after solar maximum. Thus, we should have several years still with very high aurora activity."

Furthermore, Skov points out another twist in the Sun’s late cycle, which she labels its ‘last gasp.’ She explains that nearly every solar cycle has a final burst during the declining phase, usually occurring two to three years before the Sun reaches the phase of solar minimum. Based on this, we can expect this event to happen within the next year and a half to two years. She said, "The chances of us getting another big G5 with these last gasps are pretty high." G5 is the highest one on NOAA’s geomagnetic storm scale, capable of making the Northern Lights visible even in mid-latitude regions.

Previously, the major ‘last gasp’ took place in May 2024, with the Gannon Storm creating Northern Lights visible all the way down to Mexico, as reported by Daily Galaxy. While skywatchers eagerly wait for the dazzling auroras that these solar events create, the rise in geomagnetic activity can sometimes disrupt technology on Earth. Longer radiation and geomagnetic storms can cause some serious problems for satellites, navigation systems, and communication networks. Lengthy periods of solar radiation and magnetic activity can disrupt GPS signals, interfere with radio communications, and even damage spacecraft.

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