[Photo Credit to Pixabay]

While the public marvelled at the recent display of the Northern Lights in the parts of the United States, an usual venue of appearance, Dr. Kim who is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) issued a cautionary statement that the Northern Lights may interfere with critical infrastructure technologies of today’s world.

On October 10, 2024, the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, were visible across the United States, stretching from New England to regions in the far south of the nation such as Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.

According to Dr. Kim, charged particles with high energy emitted from the sun are captured  at the polar opposites of the earth due to their geomagnetic fields. When these solar particles hit the earth’s atmosphere, they collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere and release photons which cause a colorful display of lights.

Dr. Kim further explained, “The ones at the North Pole are known as the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis while the ones at the South Pole are called the Southern Lights or the Aurora Australis. The Southern Lights may look brighter with less light pollution at the South Pole.” 

“The more charged particles falling from the sun, the brighter are the lights.  The solar activities are intensified every 11 years,” Dr. Kim continued.

“Such 11th year of intense solar activities happened to fall on this year.  Hence, the Northern Lights could be seen this October far beyond the polar regions,” Dr. Kim added.

However, the increased intensity of the lights also signals greater risks, calling for space weather forecasters to issue warnings against what might be severe geomagnetic storm disturbances. 

As such, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the NOAA, had issued earlier a Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch for October 10th and 11th, 2024.  

The Geomagnetic Storm Watch warned that a coronal mass ejection (CME), an eruption of solar material and magnetic fields, will quite likely reach earth and lead to highly elevated geomagnetic activity.  At the same time, the Watch warned against detrimental impacts to some  critical infrastructure technology.

Dr. Kim cautioned, “The charged particles from the sun which create the Northern Lights have their own electromagnetic fields and may interfere with key infrastructure technologies of today’s world which largely operate on their own electromagnetic signals.”

Dr. Kim went on, “When the solar activities intensify as they do in this year, the risks are real. The radio signals, power grids and navigation systems may fail.  In the worst case scenario, satellites may fall out of their orbits and collide into each other.”

Despite these risks, Dr. Kim assured that there was no need for undue alarm, as  mitigation measures are in place. 

“Apart from the Northern Lights, satellites are exposed to solar activities all the time.  As radiation from such activities serve to reduce the lifespan of satellites, scientists have long been developing the technology of space radiation shielding.   Recently,  a North Carolina State University research team has even suggested using metal oxide coating as a more effective means of shielding satellites,” Dr. Kim highlighted.