Aurora in Paratunka on November 2, 2024

Data of the continuous monitoring of the Earth magnetic field state, obtained at Kamchatka Geophysical Observatory «Paratunka» of IKIR FEB RAS, showed development of disturbances with the local K-index of geomagnetic activity up to 4 (see the figure) from about 09:30 UT on November 2, 2024.

The planetary index of geomagnetic disturbance Kp also did not exceed 4, i.e. the observed variations are not classified even as a “magnetic storm”.

Nevertheless, illumination, which can be considered as aurora of small intensity, was recorded by the all-sky camera, installed at the Institute, at the line of 630 nm (the red line of atomic oxygen glowing) in the northern part.

Since the night was clear and the local time of the event was close to midnight, attentive local people of Kamchatka could observe the aurora at the locations without background illumination. On the same night, illumination was recorded by the Starvizor project camera in Bagdarin (Buryatiya), Ostrolevskoe (Chelyabinsk region) and in New Zeeland.

The unexpected aurora is explained by the sign change of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF): according to the ACE space craft data from 06:00 until 10:00, from 10:18 until 10:57 and from 11:15 until 11:42 UT on November 2, 2024 the IMF had southern polarity with the amplitude up to -12 nTl.

We should note that on October 31, an X-ray flare of class X2 occurred on the Sun in the active region 2878 at 21:20 UT. It was not accompanied by the coronal mass ejection.