As expected, the flank of a CME hit Earth’s magnetic field yesterday on March 15th at around 1300 UTC.
The impact sparked a moderate (Kp=6) geomagnetic storm with perfect timing for sky watchers in New Zealand.
“The CME arrived at 2 o’clock in the morning here in Queenstown,” says photographer Minoru Yoneto. In the dark, he drove to his favorite spot on a mountain overlooking the city and recorded the storm:
The storm is subsiding now. Nevertheless, high-latitude sky watchers should remain alert for auroras as the wake of the CME continues to buffet Earth’s magnetic field.