Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Northern Lights

Spaceweather.

CO-ROTATING INTERACTION REGION: What made the auroras of Feb. 2nd so good? It was a co-rotating interaction region (CIR). CIRs are transition zones between slow- and fast-moving solar wind. Solar wind plasma piles up in these regions, creating density gradients and shock waves that can rock Earth's magnetic field. A CIR hit Earth on Feb. 2nd and in the wake of the CIR, solar wind is now blowing around Earth at speeds near 600 km/s. If these conditions persist, more Arctic mind-benders are possible on Feb. 3rd.

Tonight might be another possible Keith.