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Unusually Strong Solar Storm Poised to Push Auroras Deep Into North America

NOAA flags a rare geomagnetic event that could widen visibility, with agencies monitoring for minor disruptions to satellites and GPS.

Overview

  • An X1-class solar flare on January 18 launched a coronal mass ejection now driving a major geomagnetic disturbance toward Earth.
  • NOAA forecasts auroras across Canada and much of the northern United States on Monday night, with a chance of visibility farther south if conditions align.
  • Forecasters report the storm among the strongest in more than two decades and not expected to weaken substantially until sometime Tuesday.
  • Visibility could extend toward the U.S.–Mexico border, with limited potential for sightings near Mexicali under clear, dark skies and elevated geomagnetic activity.
  • SCIESMEX and Mexico’s civil protection authorities are maintaining continuous monitoring, warning of minor radio and satellite navigation impacts and noting no direct biological risk.