China issues geomagnetic storm warning

BEIJING – China’s National Center for Space Weather issued a red alert on Saturday morning after detecting a strong geomagnetic storm that is expected to last through the weekend, affecting communications and navigation in most areas of the country.

The geomagnetic storm, which began at 11 p.m. Beijing time on Friday, peaked with a Kp index of 9, the strongest value, the center said, noting that the storm process is expected to continue over the next 24 hours .

The center warned that the ionosphere in most areas of China will be disrupted by the geomagnetic storm, affecting shortwave communications and navigation, and that the increased density of the upper atmosphere will lead to orbital decay for low-orbit satellites.

According to space weather experts, a geomagnetic storm is a phenomenon in which the Earth’s magnetic field is violently disturbed by high-velocity coronal material that carries the Sun’s magnetic field. The storms can disrupt satellite signals and ground communications, affecting space exploration, but generally have no impact on human health.

When geomagnetic storms occur, they usually bring with them the phenomenon of the Northern Lights. High-energy particles descend from space, colliding with the atmosphere and lighting up the sky in different colors.

Due to the current geomagnetic storm, stunning auroras were observed across much of the northern half of China, including Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Northern lights enthusiasts in these regions have used their cameras to capture the universe’s enchanting dance of light and shadow.

Xiu Lipeng, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society and an expert in popularizing the science of astronomy, said that the occurrence of auroras is closely related to solar activity. The higher the intensity of solar activity, the greater the chance of witnessing this wonderful natural phenomenon.

The current solar cycle is expected to peak between 2024 and 2025. During this period, solar activity will be very frequent and intense and the probability of aurora outbreaks will be much higher than in normal years, meaning people in northern regions will have more opportunities to see beautiful auroras, Xiu told Xinhua .