In the night between 31 December and 1 January 2025 a strong geomagnetic storm caused by two is expected coronal mass emissions – that is, of charged particles coming from the Sun. As also confirmed by Space Weather Prediction Center of NOAA these particles will reach Earth during New Year’s Eve, potentially giving rise to aurora borealis in mid-latitudes, including northern Italy.
In recent days the Sun has given birth to numerous flares Of M class And X – i.e. intense radiation emissions – ea 5 sunspots. In addition to this, various have been recorded coronal mass emissionstwo of which are headed towards our planet. During these events, charged particles travel millions of km in space and, if they manage to reach the Earth, they can perturb our geomagnetic field, giving rise to geomagnetic storms with the consequent formation of Northern Lights.
As reported by the latest NOAA bulletin, the forecast geomagnetic storm is level G2-G3: usually this level is not sufficient to clearly see the aurora in Italy – except along the Alpine arc – but since these are forecasts it cannot be totally excluded that the event is underestimated and, therefore, that the auroras are also visible in other areas. The last aurora visible in Italy was last October, caused by an event G4 level.
Furthermore, it is right to point out how geomagnetic storms, especially if intense, can create telecommunications problems: as confirmed by NOAA, however, the event in question could cause at most small damage and in limited quantity.
To learn more, here is a video ad hoc about the Northern Lights and their characteristics:
