Strong Magnetic Storm Impacts Earth After Solar Cloud Passage
On the afternoon of November 5, Earth experienced one of the strongest magnetic storms in recent years. This event was reported by the Solar X-ray Astronomy Laboratory at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences and by the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The storm was classified as G3 on a five point scale where G1 is weak and G5 is extremely strong.
As of 23:30 Moscow time on November 5, Earth remained within a cloud of solar plasma. The interplanetary gas temperature near Earth rose to about 300 thousand degrees, roughly ten times higher than usual, and the solar wind speed climbed from 350 km/s to roughly 500 km/s according to measurements from the Solar X-ray Astronomy Laboratory and the ISTP. Spacecraft data indicate the plasma cloud carried its own magnetic field that pointed opposite to Earths magnetic field.
Scientists noted this configuration could lead to partial disconnection of magnetic field lines as the solar material interacts with Earths field, potentially amplifying the impact on the magnetosphere.
Unexpected Development
The event traces back to a plasma cloud ejected from the Sun toward Earth on November 3. Scientists observed the cloud but did not anticipate the magnitude of the ensuing disturbance.
Forecasts had suggested a slower arrival and a weak storm of class G1 for November 6. In reality the plasma crossed the route from the Sun to Earth in about two days, hitting the magnetosphere earlier and with far greater force than predicted. This discrepancy raised questions about how such a seemingly mild solar event could trigger a storm of this intensity, as explained by researchers from the Space Research Institute and the ISTP.
Bright Evidence in the Sky
The magnetic storm produced an extraordinarily bright aurora that illuminated the eastern hemisphere above 65 degrees north. Residents reported the phenomenon across several regions of Russia with images circulating on social networks from Perm, Kaliningrad, Novosibirsk, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, Bashkortostan, Tatarstan, Krasnodar Territory and Crimea.
Perm portal 59.ru, citing astronomer Sergei Polishchuk, noted that observers had a rare chance to witness the corona of the northern lights, displaying colors from pink to vivid green. An astrophotographer from Novosibirsk, Alexey Polyakov, described the glow as the strongest in the last two decades. The lights were even visible from Turkey, underscoring the storms global reach.
Magnetic storms occur when the solar wind interacts with Earths magnetosphere, causing disruptions in the magnetic field that can affect electrical grids, satellites and radio communications, as well as triggering auroral displays.
Experts point out that the year did not see any storm of this class since recent history. The most notable event remains the storm of April 23–24, which peaked at G4. G5 level occurrences have been exceedingly rare in the last twenty years, with the last such storm recorded on September 11, 2005. These assessments come from the IKI RAS and ISTP Siberian Branch teams, who continue to monitor space weather conditions.