Heads up: Geomagnetic Storm Watch for 16-17 July (Northern Lights!)

On July 14th, a long-lasting M2 coronal mass ejection took place with an earthward component:

M2 CME 14-July-2017

When this cloud of magnetically-charged particles reaches Earth on July 16 (late in the day UTC), it should kick off a pretty strong geomagnetic storm. I wouldn't worry about the risks of satellite failures and the electric power grid overloading (like news media loves to report). However, it could be a great opportunity to see the Northern (and Southern) Lights for latitudes where they are rare. It all depends on how the earth's magnetic field reacts to the solar wind.

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/news/g2-moderate-geomagnetic-storm-watch-issued-valid-16-17-jul-2017

Keep an eye on Spaceweather.com for more details.

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