A G1-class geomagnetic storm is in progress, flashed by a high-speed solar wind river which is buffeting Earth's magnetic field. Lofty latitude sky watchers should be attentive for auroras.
What is a geomagnetic wind?
The Earth's magnetosphere is created by our attractive field and protects us from most of the particles the sun emits. When a CME or high-speed stream arrives at Earth it buffets the magnetosphere. If the new solar magnetic field is directed southward it interacts strongly with the oppositely leaning magnetic field of the Earth. The Earth's magnetic field is then peeled open like an onion allowing energetic solar wind particles to stream down the field lines to hit the atmosphere over the poles. At the Earth's surface a magnetic storm is seen as a fast drop in the Earth's magnetic ground strength. This decrease lasts about 6 to 12 hours, after which the attractive field gradually recovers over a period of several days.
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