Red Auroras and Earth’s Weakening Magnetic Field: What You Should Know

All of these questions are important to understand regarding major solar changes happening today and will be answered in this article.

Rare pink and red auroras are being witnessed more frequently, and at much further southern latitudes than ever before.

Besides being pretty to look at, it is important to learn why this is happening.

By the end of this article, you will also understand why I don’t own any crypto currency.

In order to understand what is happening related to the solar flares, earth’s magnetic field and auroras, we must first discuss what these are and how they are related to each other.

The Carrington Event: The Greatest Solar Storm in Modern History

The 1859 Carrington Event – named after Richard Carrington, an amateur astronomer who witnessed the solar flare associated with this historic event – was likely the most powerful solar storm to hit the earth in the past few thousand years.

The Carrington Event was triggered by a solar flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) officially estimated to be an X Class, Magnitude 80 (or X-80) solar event.

Solar flares are intense bursts of radiation that occur on the sun’s surface, while CMEs are massive eruptions of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s corona.

The CME associated with the Carrington Event traveled over 90 million miles in just 17.6 hours, reaching Earth much faster than the typical travel time for such events.

This rapid arrival was due to the exceptionally high speed of the CME, which is estimated to have been around 2,000 kilometers per second or 4.473 million miles per hour.

The impact of the Carrington Event on Earth was profound – even for the relatively low-tech environment of the 1850’s.

The arrival of the CME caused a significant geomagnetic storm, resulting in widespread disruptions to telegraph systems worldwide.

Telegraph operators reported sparks, electric shocks, and even the machines catching fire as the geomagnetic disturbances induced powerful electrical currents in their systems.

Auroral displays, usually confined to polar latitudes, were seen in unusual locations during the Carrington Event.

Reports of stunning auroras came from regions such as Hawaii, Cuba, and even as far south as the Caribbean.

These visible manifestations of the geomagnetic storm were a testament to the immense energy released during the event.

If a storm of similar magnitude were to occur today, the impact on our modern technology-dependent society could be substantial – likely catastrophic.

Today, scientists and experts are continuously raising concerns about the potential for widespread, long-duration disruptions to entire power grids, satellite communications, navigation systems, and other critical infrastructure.

Why are Auroras Different Colors?

Auroras, also known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), are natural phenomena that occur near Earth’s poles.

They result from the interaction between solar particles and Earth’s atmosphere. The colors of auroras vary and are influenced by the altitude at which they occur and the composition of the atmosphere.

Red Auroras Appearing in Southern Regions is Not Normal

The prevalence of different red auroras, and other colors, varies at different latitudes, from north to south. At higher latitudes, closer to the poles, green and red auroras are more common.

As we move towards lower latitudes, blue and purple auroras become less frequent, while yellow and pink auroras are very rare occurrences.

If auroras are being seen at lower latitudes (farther south of the usual north polar region), it’s because more particle energy (radiation) from the sun (geomagnetic storms) is penetrating the earth’s protective magnetic shield.

The presence of red aurora in places like Arizona, Virginia and Kiev Ukraine are evidence that solar energy is able to push significantly through earth’s magnetic field and spread from the polar regions towards the equator at altitudes of 180 miles above ground.

The Kp Index Measures Solar Geomagnetic Storm Intensity Hitting Earth

Aurora are caused by geomagnetic storms. Stronger storms produce different colors of aurora. The Kp Index is a measure used to characterize the magnitude of geomagnetic storms.

It quantifies disturbances in the horizontal component of Earth’s magnetic field on a scale of 0 to 9.

A Kp-index of 1 indicates calm conditions, while a value of 5 or higher represents a geomagnetic storm.

As the Kp number gets higher, the intensity of the geomagnetic storm is measured on a scale of G1 through G5.

The Kp Index is closely related to the visibility of auroras. Higher Kp values indicate increased geomagnetic activity, making auroras more likely to be visible.

However, the visibility of auroras also depends on the latitude of the observer. Historically, auroras have been predominantly visible at higher latitudes, closer to the poles.

Implications of Increasing Red Auroras at Lower Southern Latitudes

In recent times, there have been observations of frequent red and pink auroras being visible at lower southern latitudes than historically normal.

This phenomenon suggests a potential shift in geomagnetic activity and aurora visibility patterns.

Such a shift could be caused by various factors, including changes in the Earth’s magnetic field, solar activity, and atmospheric conditions.

The Earth’s Magnetic Field and its Protective Role

The Earth’s magnetic field serves a crucial purpose in protecting our planet from various harmful phenomena originating from the Sun and deep space.

Acting as a shield, this magnetic field safeguards us from solar radiation, solar wind, solar flares, and other potentially damaging cosmic rays.

Extending from the planet’s core to its surface, the magnetic field creates an invisible barrier called the magnetosphere. This shield plays a vital role in deflecting harmful ultraviolet rays and preventing them from reaching the Earth’s surface, thereby ensuring our safety.

The need for protection from solar wind, flares, and radiation arises due to their potential to cause significant destruction to both the planet and its inhabitants.

Solar wind can deplete the upper atmospheres of planets, including our own, while solar flares have the capacity to disrupt communication systems and harm satellites in orbit.

Additionally, solar radiation poses a threat to living organisms by damaging DNA and increasing the risk of cancer.

The Earth’s magnetic field acts as a shield, effectively safeguarding the planet from these detrimental impacts.

When solar wind, solar flares, or radiation encounter the magnetosphere, which possesses the highest magnetic field strength, they are deflected away and cannot reach the Earth’s surface.

Furthermore, this protective bubble aids in trapping particles released by the Sun, preventing them from entering our atmosphere.

Why are We Seeing Red Auroras in Southern Regions

The earth’s magnetic field has been steadily weakening for the past few centuries. Yet, over the last several decades, the rate of weakening has been accelerating.

The visibility of red auroras in lower southern regions around the world are direct evidence of the weakening of our magnetic field.

I went to the NOAA website and downloaded data on the magnetic field strength since the year 1800.

I then pulled the data into an Excel spreadsheet and plotted out a chart based on my location in the Phoenix Arizona area. The results show the steepening of the weakness curve increasing from year to year.

 I then recorded the movement of the north magnetic pole and its rate of change since the year 1830.

You can see that the north magnetic pole is not only moving southwards, out of the arctic circle into Russia, but it’s speed of moving south is increasing dramatically. The south pole is also moving rapidly northward, out of the southern arctic.

Eventually, it is predicted that the north and south magnetic poles will meet each other somewhere in the oceans around Southeast Asia. Think about that for a minute.

Of course, like everything on earth, and in the universe, all of this is occurring in repeating cycles. What’s happening now apparently hasn’t happened in about 6,000 years in this particular cycle.

As I understand it, there are 1,500- 3,000- 6,000- and 12,000-year cycles with each of these cycles having a different set of circumstances.

The conclusion of the longer, 12,000-year cycle being the most severe – in potentially catastrophic in terms of solar unrest.

We are at the end of that 12,000-year cycle at this time.

The Bottom Line About Increasing Red Auroras Farther South than Normal

According to people way smarter than me about this stuff, visible low-latitude (mid to southern USA regions) aurora are rare, especially pink and red auroras.

A quick timelapse just after sunset of the SAR arc overlaid to the actual soundtrack I heard for 4 hours on the ridge. Turn the volume up and enjoy! #vawx

📍Lebanon, Va pic.twitter.com/ZDLNU6xcch

— Billy Bowling  𝕏 (@babowling12) November 6, 2023

The Increasing Frequency of Low Southern Auroras is Concerning

Here’s some further information that indicates a growing weakening of our magnetic shield.

The table below shows how frequently auroras, of any color, have been witnessed in the southern latitudes of the United States (such as Arizona/Texas/Florida latitudes).

The average time between auroras seen at lower latitudes from 1859 to 1990 was every 26 years.

The average time between auroras seen at lower latitudes from 1990 to 2023 has decreased to only 8.5 years. And there have been 5 lower latitude auroras occurrences just this year in 2023!

In the past, it would take a severe Kp level 8 or 9 (G5) geomagnetic storm, caused by a high M-Class or an X-Class solar flare to push aurora down to these lower latitudes.

Now it only takes Kp moderate level 8 (G4) geomagnetic storm and an average M-Class solar flare to push the solar particles into the atmosphere in low, southern latitudes.

This is because our earth’s magnetic field is getting weaker and weaker.

As our magnetic shield continues to weaken, a Kp level 9/G5 super-storm can be generated by weaker solar flare CMEs than 100 years ago.  

Today, we see the evidence of earth’s weakening solar defense shield in the form of increasingly frequent red and pink auroras at lower and lower southern locations across the globe.

Lightning Shooting Up Instead of Down

Another significant indication of earth’s magnetic field losing its protective strength is the increasingly frequent reports of intense lightning strikes, shooting from the ground into the sky (instead of the typical sky-to-ground lightning).

This lightning phenomenon is beyond the scope of this article, but suffice it to say, it’s NOT a good sign.

Why I am Diversified and Cautious About Crypto Currency

In light of the growing probability and risk of a significant, long-duration power blackout, it is wise to be prepared financially. Regarding cryptocurrency, my position is based on prudence and diversification.

Obviously, blockchain technology, and cryptocurrency transactions rely on a working internet connection – and the internet relies on electricity. But then again, so do ATM and debit card transactions.

My strategy to mitigate this risk is to hold a percentage of cash, gold, and/or silver in my personal possession.

Showing up to purchase things with a debit card or crypto wallet in hand probably won’t get me very far during a major power outage lasting weeks or months.