Space Weather News for March 16, 2026
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EQUINOX AURORA WATCH: The first auroras of northern spring are only days away. A CME (described below) is expected to hit Earth on March 19th just hours before the vernal equinox. Its impact could spark G2-class geomagnetic storms with photographic auroras at mid-latitudes.
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EARTH-DIRECTED SOLAR FLARE AND CME: Surprising forecasters, sunspot 4392 produced an M2.7-class solar flare on March 16th (1215 UTC). NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the extreme ultraviolet flash:
On the Richter Scale of solar flares, “M2.7” is not very strong. However, this one hurled a CME almost directly toward Earth. NOAA models and NASA models agree: The CME will arrive on March 19th, mere hours before the northern vernal equinox.
This is perfect timing because auroras love equinoxes. It’s called the “Russell-McPherron effect.” At this time of year, the magnetic field of Earth can link to the magnetic field of the sun, providing a superhighway for solar wind to enter our planet’s magnetosphere. Even a weak CME can can penetrate to spark mid-latitude auroras.
There’s more: A New Moon on March 19th will provide dark skies for long exposures. Even if you can’t see the auroras, you might be able to photograph them. Point your smart phone at the sky and take a nighttime exposure. You could be surprised by what appears on the screen.
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