To Cuba
Elsewhere in the country, many were lucky enough to have completely clear skies and witnessed a grandiose spectacle. The geomagnetic storm was so strong that auroras were seen as far away as the Bahamas and Cuba. This is the second time this year that auroras have been visible this far south, following storm G4 from May 10 to 12.
Photo : Sylvia Bennett, Esterhazy, Saskatchewan
The end of a cycle
This succession of storms of force G4, very close to G5, the maximum on the scale in fact, could lead us to believe that this is a frequent phenomenon. This is in no way the case. Geomagnetic storms of this magnitude occur very rarely. The list of similar events is very short. We think, among others, of the St. Patrick’s Day storm in 2015, and those of Halloween in 2003. Long periods of scarcity between these events should not be missed. We notice that approximately 10 years pass between each of these memorable storms. This is because of the solar cycle which is approximately 11 years. We are currently in the most active period. Solar flares are therefore expected to decrease in frequency and intensity over the next year.
Photo: Bill A., Pink Mountain British Columbia
Photo : Jazmine Treimer, Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan
Photo : Mimi, Lake Simcoe, Ontario
