May 2024 – CME’s, Solar Maximum and Generational Displays

After the strongest solar storm since 2003 hit us this month, it seems all anybody is focused on is if and when we’ll be able to see the Northern lights again!

The Met Office’s space forecast, issued in the early hours of Monday 20^th May. They said: “An enhancement to the aurora may occur on Monday night following the possible arrival of a coronal mass ejection (CME) that left the sun late Friday 17 May.” Unfortunately, they never came but with this becoming a more frequent event we’re hopeful its right around the corner…

As you may or may not know, CMEs are massive clouds of magnetically charged particles. They’re flung into space and take between one and four days to reach Earth and create these memorable displays.

The auroral displays, ranging from green to pink, are caused when these particles interact with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. The display that got us all talking at the start of May, was caused by at least 5 CMEs that left the sun and collided with our atmosphere in close succession.

The sun is currently in the most active period of its 11-year cycle, also known as a Solar Maximum. Solar Maximum significantly increases the chances of seeing the Northern Lights due to an increase in the number of sunspots. Sunspots are dark, planet-size regions of strong magnetic fields on the surface of the sun. They can spawn eruptive disturbances such as solar flares and of course CMEs. The good news is the number of sunspots on the surface of the sun are at their highest since 2014! More sunspots, mean more geomagnetic storms which you guessed it, means more Auroras!

Krista Hammond of the Met Office said “the sunspot region will be rotated back towards Earth in 10 to 12 days’ time, paving the way for further geomagnetic storms and potential displays of the Northern Lights”. Also saying “more solar activity means a good chance of sightings in the coming weeks, months and years”.

What does this mean for The Aurora Zone?

If you put that all together, we’re basically telling you that this upcoming aurora season is your best chance of seeing a magical display! With towns all over the UK spotting them and places as far south as Texas, can you imagine how likely you’re to see them up in the Aurora Zone?

The Aurora Zone is a band that stretches between 66°N and 69°N covering parts of Finland, Norway, Iceland and Sweden. The Aurora Zone is so popular for Northern Lights displays because of its relation to the North Pole. When a solar storm comes toward us, some of the energy and small particles travel down our magnetic field lines emanating from our poles and causes the reaction filling our skies. The closer you are to this the better the display will be. But the best thing about being in the Aurora Zone is that it happens more often! In the UK you could see the aurora 2-4 times a year, in the Aurora Zone you can potentially see it 2-4 times a week!!

Our trips are available all over the Aurora Zone, offering a variety of locations, accommodation and activities. We have so many happy customers who travel with us, last season we recorded an 85% success rate of those who saw the Aurora!

You can also expect a holiday full of activities! Imagine being pulled through the frozen Arctic forests by husky, snowshoeing under the lights, snowmobiling to an aurora camp to spend a cosy evening around log fires or spending some time with the local reindeer- now is the time to travel with us!

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