A CME from February 16, 2014 has impacted Earth. The CME’s magnetic structure was such that it stirred things up in the magnetosphere.
A significant interplanetary shock detected by ACE at L1 at 3:10 UT, February 19, 2014.
The chart above shows the Kp index has it goes from calm (<4) to storm levels (>4). Kp is a measure of the global state of the magnetosphere, that is how disturbed it is.
A downward component it the solar wind magnetic field from the CME is what disturbed the magnetosphere to minor storm levels.
Beautiful aurora were seen this morning in Sand River, Upper Peninsula of Michigan and recorded thanks to Lake Superior Photo.
An owl lit up by aurora and the moon is shown in this photo taken by Douglas Kiesling from Sauk Rapids, Minnesota. Keisling said, “The auroras were so bright, I could actually see a snowy owl on power pole back lit by the green glow. The owl itself was illuminated by bright moonlight.”
credit:NOAA/NASA/ACE/GOES/spaceweather.com
