Geomagnetic Storm and Aurora from Valentine’s Weekend CME

A CME from February 16, 2014 has impacted Earth. The CME’s magnetic structure was such that it stirred things up in the magnetosphere.

 

A significant interplanetary shock detected by ACE at L1 at 3:10 UT, February 19, 2014.

Mag_swe_24h (1)Kp

 

The chart above shows the Kp index has it goes from calm (<4) to storm levels (>4). Kp is a measure of the global state of the magnetosphere, that is how disturbed it is.

A downward component it the solar wind magnetic field from the CME is what disturbed the magnetosphere to minor storm levels.

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Beautiful aurora were seen this morning in Sand River, Upper Peninsula of Michigan and recorded thanks to Lake Superior Photo.

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An owl lit up by aurora and the moon is shown in this photo taken by Douglas Kiesling from Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. Keisling said, “The auroras were so bright, I could actually see a snowy owl on power pole back lit by the green glow. The owl itself was illuminated by bright moonlight.”

credit:NOAA/NASA/ACE/GOES/spaceweather.com