Attitudes towards space weather in (social) media vs. aurora enthusiasm

[Montecore]

I'm kind of new to space weather. I have never personally witnessed an aurora (I'm at 52 latitude) but my dad once managed to capture one by setting his camera to a long exposure time.

The general sentiment on forums like these when flares and CMEs happen seems to be enthusiasm about auroras, the pretty pictures, the radio signals, and all that.

However, whenever these events get covered in mainstream and social media, there's always so much focus on the dangers. That large-scale blackouts can happen, transformers will melt, the electrical grid will fry, even that we'll be set back to pre-industrial times and all that. A lot of doom-mongering that I should realistically dismiss as sensationalist nonsense.

And yet...

I want to be in awe of the auroras, I want to know if I'll be able to see them, and when to look, so I try to keep up. But with CMEs about to impact earth, solar particles being flung towards us and all that, all this talk in the media has me anxious. And today is no different. I even begin to wonder, should I unplug my devices before CMEs hit? (just in case!) I can't help but letting it affect me.

Y'all seem to be pretty laid back about it, you just want to experience cool auroras, and I can really appreciate that.

How do you reconcile your enthusiasm for auroras with sensationalist discourse in (social) media? Does it annoy you a lot, do you correct people about it, or do you just roll your eyes and move on, do you completely ignore it? And any advice for someone who just wants to enjoy space weather?

 

Edited March 23 by Montecore

[Sam Warfel]

That sensationalism is primarily fear-mongering, harnessing fear to get engagement for their profit.  It is seldom fact-based.  The scientists who study this don't spread this sensationalism, and neither do we.
You're completely fine.  Around 2018 we had CMEs from an almost X10 flare, and in 2003 we had an X45 and X28 flare and direct CME hit with extreme G5 level storming, and you probably didn't even notice.  Basically nothing happened.  And no recent activity is even remotely close to that level of strength, so we are totally fine.

[Vancanneyt Sander]

44 minuten geleden, Montecore zei:

I want to be in awe of the auroras, I want to know if I'll be able to see them, and when to look, so I try to keep up.

I’m at 50° latitude and I’ve seen the Aurora here but it’s rather rare… last time was not that long ago (November 5th 2023), mostly photographic but it was also somewhat visible with naked eye. For my location, Belgium, I would need a Kp7+, but keep in mind that you may not use Kp to do nowcasting for the Aurora (use Hp and magnetometers)

48 minuten geleden, Montecore zei:

How do you reconcile your enthusiasm for auroras with sensationalist discourse in (social) media?

I just ignore them 😊
Don’t fall for the fearmongers 😉 we know what we talk about and have followed space weather for a few decades. We even survived a direct hit from an X17 (with correction factor) in 2003 that sparked auroras till Egypt (no major power issues, just a few fried satellites but those are in space and are effected by space weather)