Northern Lights are a headache, and maybe even a danger, for amateur radio operators

Plenty of camera buffs and astronomy fans are excited about the possibility of seeing Northern Lights tonight,  June 2, but amateur radio operator are even more excited than that.

Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, occur after the sun produces an unusual amount of charged particles (known as a coronal mass ejection or CME)  in a geomagnetic storm. These particles hit the ionosphere, the charged layer of Earth’s atmosphere, and create interesting visual effects.

However, the CME also changes the ionosphere in unpredictable ways. Amateur radio, often called ham radio, bounces signals off the ionosphere, which allows operators to contact each other from thousands of miles away. During a strong geomagnetic storm – the current one is rated 4 on 1-to-5 scale by the National Space Weather Prediction Center – amateur radio is often disrupted, with operators unable to reach channels that are normally available. 

At the very worst, a strong geomagnetic storm can distort Earth’s magnetic field to the point that large conducting wires or antennas can have electric currents induced in them, putting equipment at risk. While this is extremely rare, the Contoocook Valley Radio Club has issued a caution that high-frequency-antenna owners may want to disconnect their rigs until the CME event has passed because of the possibility of damage.

Northern Lights are expected to be visible in much of New Hampshire on Monday night. They are best viewed well after midnight from a high point with an unobstructed view to the north.