Aurora alert! Gigantic 500,000-mile 'hole' in the sun's atmosphere could spark impressive northern lights tonight and tomorrow (photo)

A high-resolution image of the sun taken in extreme ultraviolet light, showing a massive dark coronal hole on its surface. The coronal hole appears as a large black region where the sun’s magnetic field has opened up, allowing solar wind to escape into space. Bright swirling plasma structures surround the dark area, and the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona, glows in shades of gold and orange.

Aurora forecast

(Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Canva)

Keep up with current northern lights forecasts and geomagnetic storm warnings with our aurora forecast live blog.

A massive 500,000-mile-wide (800,000-kilometer) coronal hole in the sun's atmosphere is unleashing a stream of fast-moving solar wind toward Earth, potentially supercharging auroras on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1.

Coronal holes are areas where the sun’s magnetic field opens up, allowing solar wind to flow freely into space, according to SpaceWeather.com. In ultraviolet images, these regions appear darker because they lack the hot, glowing gases usually confined by magnetic fields, as the plasma escapes outward instead.

The solar wind escaping from this coronal hole — the diameter of which measures over 62 times that of the diameter of Earth — is moving at speeds of more than 310 miles per second (500 kilometers per second). This flow is expected to reach Earth by Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, where it could spark minor (G1) geomagnetic storm conditions. While these storms are not severe, they can intensify auroral displays, creating vibrant northern and southern lights at higher latitudes. For an up-to-date breakdown of geomagnetic activity over the next 3 days, check out NOAA's SWPC 3-day forecast. NOAA classifies geomagnetic storms using a G-scale, which ranks their intensity from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). The recent geomagnetic storm watch NOAA issued is rated as a G1.

Auroras occur when solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field. The charged particles from the sun collide with gases in the upper atmosphere, such as oxygen and nitrogen, transferring energy to them. This energy is released as light, producing the colorful displays seen in the night sky. The stronger the solar wind, the more dynamic and widespread the auroras can become.

Coronal holes appear darker in ultraviolet images because the hot, glowing gases typically trapped within the magnetic fields are no longer contained. They are instead, readily spewing out into space. (Image credit: NASA/SDO )

Though G1 conditions are possible for Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, remember that space weather is unpredictable and difficult to forecast, much like Earth's weather. Even though geomagnetic storm warnings at this level are not uncommon, they can occasionally amount to nothing.

To stay updated on space weather and know the best times and places to catch auroras, consider using a space weather app tailored to your location. One app I recommend is "My Aurora Forecast & Alerts," available on both iOS and Android. Another great tool is the "Space Weather Live" app on iOS and Android which offers more in-depth insights into current space weather conditions and their potential for aurora activity.

Editor's note: This article was updated at 5:50 a.m. EST (10:50 GMT) on Jan. 31 to reflect the latest forecast, which now indicates that G1 geomagnetic storm conditions may be possible on both Jan. 31 and Feb. 1. Previously, activity was only expected on Jan. 31.