Aurora viewers will want to keep their eyes on the sky this weekend as solar flares from the Sun are hurling towards Earth. NOAA has upgraded a geomagnetic solar storm watch from a Level 3 (“moderate”) to a Level 4 (“severe”) as several solar flares have combined. That could grace the northern tier skies with brilliant auroras but also trigger GPS problems, hamper satellite communication, and cause high-frequency radio blackouts. “Watches at this level are very rare,” NOAA stated in the watch. “This is an unusual event.” This is the first “severe” Geomagnetic Storm Watch issued since January 2005. Sunspots merged Two ... (full story)