The northern lights have been so visible lately due to an "intense solar maximum"

Question

The northern lights have been very active in 2024 and visible in parts of the U.S for the first time in a long time. This is due to an intense solar storm that could be concerning to radio and power signals.

Comments

After looking further into this claim, I found that many scientists do agree that the reason that we are able to see the northern lights in the United States is linked to a geomagnetic storm. I looked at a variety of articles including Forbes "Northern Lights Forecast: Geomagnetic Storm May Cause Aurora Borealis To Be Visible In These States Tonight" which detailed how geomagnetic storms, caused by energy leaving the sun, are happening more often allowing people to see the Aurora Borealis in places it is usually not possible. The Forbes article also touched upon how the geomagnetic storm could lead to problems with the radio/power signals as you stated as well as power grids which are necessities in many places. This aligns with what is stated in the CBS article linked in your claim. So, the claim is true.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2024/10/11/northern-lights-forecast-geomagnetic-storm-may-cause-aurora-borealis-to-be-visible-in-these-states-tonight/

Answer 1

Scientists agree that the increase in visibility of the northern lights in 2024 is linked to geomagnetic solar storms. In this CBS article, and in a PBS article I found, it's mentioned that this flare up in solar events is due to the sun's solar cycle. We are nearing the peak of the cycle, called the solar maximum, meaning these storms are larger and more common. The PBS article also explains how it's possible that these storms could interrupt radio communications, overload  transformers and cause blackouts, and damage satellites. I also found another article that suggests there may be a link between climate change and the increased intensity of solar storms. It touches on  how climate change could potentially alter atmospheric and geomagnetic conditions, possibly making solar storms more severe. They do say this connection is very complex and not heavily researched though.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/wondering-why-the-aurora-borealis-was-visible-so-far-south-last-night-heres-why-its-all-thanks-to-the-sun

Comments

The specificity of this explanation is extremely helpful in digesting the articles, and the additional information you provided about solar storm severity is a really important point.

Answer 2

This information reported by CBS news is sourced from the Space Weather Prediction Center. The SWPC is a trusted and reliable source.

https://www.ncep.noaa.gov/director/ucar_reports/SWPC_Report_UCAR_Final.pdf

Comments

I wish that you had extracted where the information was gathered from in this report. Your fact check doesn't make a statement about the claim; it makes the report speak for itself. Not to mention that this report came out in 2009 and is predicting a Solar Maximum in 2013!

Answer 3

According to my research, the statement that the northern lights have been so visible lately due to "intense solar maximalism" is true. It seems like many renowned scientists are agreeing for solar maximalism to be the reason why the Northern lights have been so visible across the United States  as of lately. The scientists attribute this solar event to the sun's solar cycle. As the sun is nearing the peak of this cycle, which has been named solar maximum, the storms and northern lights become more frequent. Not only have other reliable sources been reporting on the same news recently, CBS is a very trusted and reliable source and this article came from the Space Weather Prediction Center which is also a trusted and reliable source. 

Comments

Please include source links within all your fact-checks, going forward. Thanks!

Answer 4

Keeping in mind this is a time sensitive claim and article, it does seem accurate. The claim pulls directly from the article, making it hard to exaggerate its contents. Additionally, many other sources agree that the current peak of the 11 year solar cycle phenomenon (or “the solar maximum”) to be the cause for increased visibility of the northern lights. 

Additional sources to back this claim up:

https://www.vox.com/science/24156730/aurora-northern-lights-visible-space-weather-storm-sun-solar-flare-ejection

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjepzxjrjgo

Answer 5

The article from CBS News Boston discusses the northern lights being visible in parts of the U.S. due to an intense solar storm. CBS News is a reputable news organization known for accurate reporting. To validate this further, I checked sources like NASA and NOAA. They confirm that we are experiencing a solar maximum—a period of increased solar activity, which has indeed led to more frequent displays of the northern lights. Reports from NASA and NOAA, which have been monitoring solar cycles and their impacts, serve as the primary source for this claim. In conclusion, the claim is accurate. The northern lights have been exceptionally active in 2024 due to the solar maximum, making them visible in parts of the U.S. for the first time in a long time. The associated intense solar storms do pose risks to radio and power signals.

https://www.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/auroras/

https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/northern-lights-forecast-midwest-us-november-2024-19879464.php

Answer 6

I would say that the claim is accurate. The recent visibility of the northern lights, or auroras, is linked to the current solar maximum phase of the solar cycle. The solar cycle lasts about 11 years and features fluctuations in solar activity, such as sunspots and solar flares. During a solar maximum, the sun becomes more active, releasing more energy and particles that interact with the Earth’s magnetic field, resulting in more vibrant auroras.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), we are currently experiencing Solar Cycle 25, which is expected to peak around 2025 (meaning we are slowly nearing the solar maximum cycle). The peak of the cycle in 2025 is causing the northern lights to be visible even in areas that usually don’t see them. Recent reports have noted that these displays have been spotted at lower latitudes, allowing more people to enjoy the view.

source: https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14683