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Re:Swarm satellites probe weakening of Earth’s magnetic field by alex_duf on Thursday May 28, 2020 @07:59AM (#23336243)
Am I correct this potentially weaken our shielding against charged particles coming from the Sun?

And if so, is it opening the possibility of having northern lights in the middle of the Atlantic?

Re:Swarm satellites probe weakening of Earth’s magnetic field by trianglesphere on Thursday May 28, 2020 @10:34AM (#23337766)
Yes, but it's very localized. The magnetic field of earth is typically modeled as a dipole where the magnetic field strength is the same as you go around the equator at the same altitude.

Maybe with northern lights over equator, I'd have to think about it more, but it's odd to think of an aurora where the magnetic field lines are parallel with the ground rather than normal to the ground (particles are much more mobile along field lines rather than across field lines in plasmas).

Re:Swarm satellites probe weakening of Earth’s magnetic field by trail-system on Thursday May 28, 2020 @08:07AM (#23336291)
From NOAA (https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/aurora)

When space weather activity increases and more frequent and larger storms and substorms occur, the aurora extends equatorward. During large events, the aurora can be observed as far south as the US, Europe, and Asia. During very large events, the aurora can be observed even farther from the poles.

Re:Swarm satellites probe weakening of Earth’s magnetic field by simias on Thursday May 28, 2020 @09:23AM (#23336911)
That's a very weird and not very precise way to word this. Of course I would expect auroras to be regularly visible in the far northern parts of the USA and Europe:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Kp_Map_North_Ameri...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aurora_Kp_Map_Eurasia.gif

Now if you start seeing Auroras in Lisbon or Miami please let me know!

Re:Swarm satellites probe weakening of Earth’s magnetic field by iso947 on Thursday May 28, 2020 @10:54AM (#23337986)
Auroras were seen in Baltimore and Perth (Australia) during the Carrington event in 1859, around Lisbon’s latitude (both north and south)
Re:Swarm satellites probe weakening of Earth’s magnetic field by contravariant on Thursday May 28, 2020 @05:19PM (#23342791)
Lisbon would be worrying but Miami would be catastrophic.

Portugal might be more northern than you think. It's only just south of Toronto.

Re:Swarm satellites probe weakening of Earth’s magnetic field by zipwitch on Thursday May 28, 2020 @09:34PM (#23345365)
Obligatory xkcd: https://xkcd.com/2233/