Epic Year For Auroras Over Wyoming May Have Just Gone Legendary

Wyoming seems to have become aurora central with another spectacular show of celestial lights early Monday morning, which more expected this week.

The geomagnetic storm that manifested as an aurora Monday was the latest generated during the Sun's 11-year solar maximum, and there's a good chance of even better displays to come before the end of the year.

"The sun is still very active and will likely be active for the rest of the year," said Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day. "We could be looking at the potential for more auroras before the months are over, and especially into September and October."

Better Space Weather

Sunspots on the surface of the sun generated multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that reached Earth over the weekend. According to the Space Weather Center, the geomagnetic storm they created when interacting with the planet's atmosphere reached its maximum intensity as a severe G4 storm.

That would put Monday’s CME on par with the mid-May event that created the best auroras seen in nearly two decades. However, Day said the best of this geomagnetic storm has probably passed.

"The peak of this CME was probably last night," said Day. "NASA was predicting that the geomagnetic storm will have faded by Tuesday. That doesn't mean there won't be auroras tonight, but they likely will not be as visible and as widespread as last night."

Lots To Look At

Auroras were seen in Wyoming and across the northern half of the United States overnight Sunday. The CME's energy was strong enough to persist into the daylight hours over Siberia on the opposite side of the globe on Monday morning.

Additional auroras would give Wyomingites plenty to look for. The Perseids meteor shower is reaching its annual peak this week — with its best show expected early Tuesday morning — which means meteor fireballs could be seen streaking across the rainbow ribbons of an aurora.

"When everything lines up correctly, we can get these aurora events," Day said. "Last night was one of those nights where things lined up, and it ended up being a pretty strong event."

Buffalo photographer Breanna Klamm Whitlock got lucky. While out getting photographs of the aurora, she also captured a stunningly bright and clear meteor from the Persieds.

“That one was so bright, it was amazing,” she said of the meteor streak across the sky. “I was out there more for the auroras than the meteor shower. But that lasted, like, three seconds. It was pretty cool.”

Geomagnetic Geometry

Solar maximum part of the star's well-observed 11-year cycle when the sun has an abundance of sunspots on its surface. Those sunspots have the potential to generate more CMEs, which makes it the prime time to view auroras in the night skies of Wyoming.

Data suggests the sun is now at its solar maximum. Day said that thanks to the "geometry" of our planet and its position during solar maximum, an already great year for auroras could get even better.

"We're right at the solar max," he said. "Sunspot activity is the highest it's been in quite a while. There's some geometry with where the Earth and the sun are that makes the opportunities for auroras to be a little bit better. Last night was one of them, and we'll probably have more opportunities before the year's over."

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Auroras take many stargazers by surprise, but this latest geomagnetic storm wasn't a happy accident. Day said the Space Weather Center predicted a CME would reach Earth sometime between Friday and Monday.

"They were predicting this was going to happen," he said. "You don't always get auroras this far south with geomagnetic storms. The stars have to align, and those sunspots must face the Earth when they generate CMEs."

NASA's websites, social media channels and the Space Weather Prediction Center are the best resources for space weather forecasts. They regularly monitor sunspot activity and detect when CMEs are on an earthly trajectory.

However, their predictions can be broad, covering several days when CMEs might manifest as auroras. Day recommends that aurora enthusiasts check these sites regularly, especially during solar maximum, so they have a better idea of where and when to wake up and look up for auroras.

"How often do we hear, 'Oh, we're going to have auroras tonight,' and they don't happen?' Day said. "Then you have a night like last night, and people say, 'I didn't know they were going to happen.' You have to stay on top of it. I recommend using these resources to know when the chances might be better on a given night than on other nights."

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.