The Northern Lights colored the skies of Mexico City, Nuevo Leon, Chihuahua, Jalisco, Baja California, Durango, Sonora, and Zacatecas. A natural light phenomenon that occurs in the Earth’s atmosphere, especially in countries near the North Pole. The light show, which unfolded this week on the night of Tuesday, November 11, and on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 12, is due to a solar storm or a severe global magnetic storm originating from a coronal mass ejection (an explosion of plasma and magnetic fields) from the Sun, the National Space Meteorology Institute of the Geophysical Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) reported through a statement on its Facebook page. “No effects on human health or other living organisms are expected. Possible effects are limited to sensitive technical systems,” it says.
The impacts on technical systems mentioned by UNAM in its statement are: HF radio communications (aviation, maritime, operational services). Satellite positioning systems (GPS and GNSS) affect accuracy and synchronization. communications and observation satellites, and large-scale electrical networks (infrastructure responsible for transmitting large amounts of energy over long distances).
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines Category G4 geomagnetic storms, which are considered severe, as Class X solar flares (A, B, C, M, and
In 2020, NASA announced that the Sun completed an 11-year cycle in December 2019 and began a new cycle. “Activity is expected to increase until it peaks in July 2025. The period is below average, but not without risks,” said Doug Biesecker, a solar physicist at NOAA at the time.
This light will be visible this Wednesday afternoon, the 12th, especially in the northern states and Bajío. For example, the Astronomical Society of Nuevo León reported through its Facebook page that the phenomenon was visible to the naked eye in the city of Garcia. In other parts of the country, it is recommended to stay away from large cities and wait for clear skies. In addition to Mexico, the Northern Lights also colored the skies of the United States, including New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Iowa, Idaho, and South Dakota.
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