Scientists warn that a solar flare passing through the Earth could lead to minor geomagnetic storms that last several days.
Coronal mass ejection (CME) delivered “lightning” to our planet on Wednesday at 00:37 ET (4:37 GMT).
CMEs are large clouds of high -energy, magnetic plasma emanating from the Sun.
This can occur when a storm on the Sun’s surface causes a storm to form at the base of the plasma rings coming from the surface.
These rings are called protrusions and when unstable they can break and release CME into space.
The explosion was the result of a slow -moving solar flare recorded on Monday that lasted eight hours and caused a temporary loss of radio in Japan and Southeast Asia.
SpaceWeather astronomers recorded the explosion of the growing sunspot AR3032 at 00:07 ET (04:07 GMT) on Monday.
The explosion produced a solar flare that lasted nearly eight hours from start to finish and was recorded as M3.4, placing it in the category of a “medium” solar flare.
Intense ultraviolet radiation from the explosion ionized the upper part of our atmosphere, causing a temporary radio blackout in Japan and Southeast Asia.
Coronagraphs at the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) also recorded the launch of CME into space along with its early solar flare.
Analysts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predict that it could “quickly hit” our planet’s magnetosphere.
Spaceweather confirmed that CME hit the Earth’s magnetic field at 00:37 ET (04:37 GMT) on June 15th.
An update on their site said: “Storms could occur in the coming hours as the Earth moves on CME’s heavily magnetized wing.”
Likely minor G1 storms, likely moderate G2 storms this morning, according to MetOffice.
A weak storm can confuse migratory animals that rely on the Earth’s magnetic field to sense direction.
Weak storms can cause voltage fluctuations and cause power outages or damage to electrical equipment and wiring.
MetOffice also said that any aurora that occurs as a result of significant mass increases is likely to be confined to higher latitudes and land in Scotland early this morning.
However, the short time of darkness means that seeing the aurora borealis will be limited, if not impossible.
The sun has been very active for several months, and last month it released the strongest sunlight it has seen in five years.
Our star looks set to enter a particularly active phase of its 11-year cycle of activity, which began in 2019 and is expected to increase in 2025.
But scientists are concerned that increased solar activity could lead to potentially dangerous solar weather that could damage power grids, disable satellites, and damage astronauts and space equipment aboard. of the International Space Station.
Coronal mass eruptions only affect the Earth when focused on our planet and are likely to be slower than solar flares because they move more objects.
Flares and missile defenses also have different effects on the ground.
Energy from the glow can interfere with the region of the atmosphere where radio waves travel, possibly causing a temporary delay in navigation and communication signals.
Coronal mass ejections, on the other hand, have the ability to move the Earth’s magnetic fields, creating waves that propel particles toward the Earth’s poles.
When they interact with oxygen and nitrogen, they help create the aurora borealis, also known as the northern and southern aurora.
Also, magnetic changes can affect various human technologies, causing GPS coordinates to deviate a few yards and overload power grids when power companies are not ready.
There are no major flares or solar flares in the modern world – most recently the Carrington event in 1859 – that caused a geomagnetic storm with a global aurora, as well as fires at telegraph stations.
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Arabic RT
