Minor geomagnetic storms on November 17 and 18 could bring northern lights

A solar wind stream from a coronal hole pushed Earth's magnetic field to minor geomagnetic storm levels, prompting watches and warnings from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. While fast solar wind speeds persisted for several days, the lack of a sustained southward interplanetary magnetic field kept conditions mostly quiet following the initial disturbance. The elevated high-energy electron flux from the solar stream has raised risks of internal charging on satellites in geosynchronous orbit. SWPC expects these elevated flux levels to continue through November 13.