Strongest magnetic storm in 20 years erupts

▶ Astronomy enthusiasts across China rush to witness stunning aurora

From Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, multiple northern regions across China are among the best destinations to enjoy the stunning beauty of the aurora – a breathtaking gift brought by the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades, which attracts visitors and photographers to rush for the mesmerizing display by the nature.

The Earth’s magnetic field experienced a massive geomagnetic storm (kp=9) on the night of Friday to the early hours of Saturday, due to a coronal mass ejection event from the sun. At 9:32 am on Saturday, the National Space Weather Monitoring and Early Warning Center under the China Meteorological Administration issued a red alert for geomagnetic storms, predicting moderate to high solar activity levels in the next three days, with the possibility of M-class or even X-class flares, leading to small to large geomagnetic storms, and even severe geomagnetic storms.

Regions such as Altay in Xinjiang, Mohe in Heilongjiang, and some areas in North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were hotspots for tourists and photography enthusiasts eager to witness this natural wonder.

Local tourism departments and businesses tailored services for tourists interested in viewing the auroras at night. Discounts were offered at various observation lodges in Altay, such as multiple inns, to provide affordable and convenient accommodations for visitors.

Interestingly, the phenomenon of the northern lights even extended as far as Beijing on Saturday.

The ongoing solar storms are expected to continue to be active in the next two days, allowing for the possibility of widespread auroras in the northern hemisphere.

With the increase in solar activities since the beginning of the 25th solar activity cycle in 2019, events such as solar flares, solar proton events, and geomagnetic storms have become more frequent and intense especially since 2023, attracting public attention.

While some concerns have been raised about the potential health effects of geomagnetic storms, current research indicates that they have minimal impact on human health. Claims of insomnia, drowsiness, palpitations, and restlessness due to geomagnetic storms are unfounded and should not be taken seriously.

However, according to the National Space Science Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences, geomagnetic storms and a series of space environmental events will have a serious impact on the earth.

For example, geomagnetic storms can damage satellites, power grids and power facilities, and even oil pipelines. The higher the density of the upper atmosphere increases the resistance of satellite operation, thus speeding up the attenuation of satellite orbit. Hot plasma injection can cause surface charging of satellite, and high energy electron burst can cause deep charging harm of satellite. Ionospheric storms could affect things like short-wave communications and satellite navigation.