Auroras May be Visible in Hokkaido within Days from Friday Night as Sun is Extremely Active; GPS, Aircraft Communications Disruption Feared

The Yomiuri Shimbun

20:33 JST, May 10, 2024

Auroras may be visible in Hokkaido and other areas in low-latitude areas, and the Global Positioning System and aircraft communications may be disrupted within several days from Friday night due to extreme solar activity, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology said, urging caution.

The sun goes through an 11-year cycle of activity and is currently in the middle of this cycle, called the “solar maximum,” when it has the most sunspots. Huge sunspots have appeared on the surface of the sun.