Second Night of Auroras Seen ‘Extreme’ Solar Storm

The Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, glow on the horizon over Punta Arenas, Chile, on May 10, 2024. (AFP)
The Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, glow on the horizon over Punta Arenas, Chile, on May 10, 2024. (AFP)
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Second Night of Auroras Seen ‘Extreme’ Solar Storm

The Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, glow on the horizon over Punta Arenas, Chile, on May 10, 2024. (AFP)
The Aurora Australis, also known as the Southern Lights, glow on the horizon over Punta Arenas, Chile, on May 10, 2024. (AFP)

Auroras lit up skies across swaths of the planet for the second night in a row on Saturday, after already dazzling Earthlings from the United States to Tasmania to the Bahamas the day before.

A powerful solar storm -- which could continue into Sunday -- has triggered spectacular celestial shows usually confined to the far northern reaches of the planet, hence their nickname of the "northern lights."

"I have the sensation of living through a historic night in France... It was really charged, with solar particles and emotions," Eric Lagadec, an astrophysicist at the Observatoire de Cote d'Azur, wrote on social media after the first night.

"Find good spots, away from the lights, with a clear view to the north!"

Late Saturday evening, pictures again started trickling onto social media as people in the United States reported sightings, though not as strong as Friday night's.

The first of several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) -- expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun -- came just after 1600 GMT Friday, according to the US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).

It was later upgraded to an "extreme" geomagnetic storm -- the first since the "Halloween Storms" of October 2003 that caused blackouts in Sweden and damaged power infrastructure in South Africa.

Aurora Borealis or the Northern Lights are seen in Vancouver, B.C., Saturday, May. 11, 2024. (The Canadian Press via AP)

Friday's storm was listed as hitting level five geomagnetic conditions -- the highest on the scale. Saturday saw G3 to G5 conditions, with G4 or higher conditions predicted Sunday and G3 conditions possible into Monday.

But no major disruptions to power or communications networks appear to have been reported this time around, despite initial worries from authorities.

There have only been "preliminary reports of power grid irregularities, degradation to high-frequency communications, GPS and possibly satellite navigation," the SWPC said.

Elon Musk, whose Starlink satellite internet operator has some 5,000 satellites in low Earth orbit, said his satellites were "under a lot of pressure, but holding up so far."

However, China's National Center for Space Weather issued a "red alert" Saturday morning, warning the storm will impact communications and navigation in most areas of the country, state news agency Xinhua reported.

Auroras were visible in the northern half of the country, according to media reports.

Worldwide excitement

Excitement over the phenomenon -- and otherworldly photos pink, green and purple night skies -- popped up across the world, from Mont Saint-Michel on the French coast to Payette, Idaho -- in the western United States -- to Australia's island state of Tasmania.

Aurora Australis lights in Oatlands, Tasmania, Australia, 11 May 2024 (issued 12 May 2024). (EPA)

Unlike solar flares, which travel at the speed of light and reach Earth in around eight minutes, CMEs travel at a more sedate pace, with officials putting the current average at 800 kilometers (500 miles) per second.

The CMEs emanated from a massive sunspot cluster that is 17 times wider than our planet.

People with eclipse glasses can also look for the sunspot cluster during the day.

The Sun is approaching the peak of an 11-year cycle that brings heightened activity.

NOAA's Brent Gordon encouraged the public to try to capture the night sky with phone cameras even if they couldn't see auroras with their naked eyes.

"You'd be amazed at what you see in that picture versus what you see with your eyes."

Spacecraft and pigeons

Fluctuating magnetic fields associated with geomagnetic storms induce currents in long wires, including power lines, which can potentially lead to blackouts. Long pipelines can also become electrified, leading to engineering problems.

Spacecraft are also at risk from high doses of radiation, although the atmosphere prevents this from reaching Earth.

NASA has a dedicated team looking into astronaut safety and can ask astronauts on the International Space Station to move to places within the outpost that are better shielded.

Even pigeons and other species that have internal biological compasses could be affected. Pigeon handlers have noted a reduction in birds coming home during geomagnetic storms, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The most powerful geomagnetic storm in recorded history, known as the Carrington Event after British astronomer Richard Carrington, occurred in September 1859.



Saudi Arabia, China to Cooperate on Parks, Reforestation and Anti-Desertification

A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, China to Cooperate on Parks, Reforestation and Anti-Desertification

A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Product Exports and Agricultural Sustainability. (SPA)

A recent Saudi delegation’s visit to China marked a significant step toward deepening environmental cooperation between the two countries, with a focus on reforestation technologies and combating desertification, said Khaled Alabdulkader, CEO of the National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification (NCVC).

Alabdulkader said the visit, led by Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, included high-level meetings and site visits to explore China’s pioneering experiences in land reclamation and vegetation cover development.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Alabdulkader described the trip as “rich and beneficial,” revealing that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the NCVC and China’s Gansu Desert Control Research Institute.

The agreement follows a Saudi Cabinet resolution passed in December 2023 authorizing the minister to negotiate and sign the MoU to strengthen cooperation in combating desertification.

The Saudi delegation met with executives from major Chinese firms to discuss launching joint investment projects in Saudi Arabia, including initiatives in natural resource management, rangeland rehabilitation, and the development of desert parks and eco-resorts, said Alabdulkader.

The discussions also explored transferring tree-planting technologies and desertification control methods as part of the Kingdom’s broader push to promote green economic growth and sustainability, he added.

“We aim to localize these technologies to help achieve our environmental goals and enhance sustainability in Saudi Arabia,” Alabdulkader said, expressing hope for expanded collaboration and further agreements building on the outcomes of the visit.

Talks also covered advanced techniques in mangrove cultivation, which are critical for coastal protection and boosting vegetation, as well as environmental protection innovations and the economic potential of invasive plants, including converting them into eco-friendly products.

Additionally, Alabdulkader held discussions with a Chinese environmental design company to explore cooperation on national park and wetland development in Saudi Arabia.

The visit, reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), aimed to strengthen the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and China in the sectors of environment, water, and agriculture.

The visit also sought to open new export channels for Saudi products to the Chinese market and facilitate the introduction of more than 20 new food products from Saudi Arabia.

As part of the official visit, the Saudi delegation participated in the Saudi-Chinese Forum for Exporting Saudi Products and Agricultural Sustainability.

The forum concluded with the signing of 57 agreements and MoUs between 36 Saudi and Chinese entities, with investments exceeding SAR 14 billion ($3.7 billion).

These included 26 export agreements and 14 MoUs between the National Center for Palms and Dates and various Chinese companies and government agencies, aiming to boost global visibility and exports of Saudi dates and date-based products.