A series of explosions on the surface of the Sun could cause a geomagnetic storm on Earth by Tuesday.
A series of explosions on the surface of the Sun could bring on the aurora borealis (and possibly the aurora australis too) by Tuesday, while disrupting radio and satellite services.
“A magnetic filament connected to sunspot AR3229 erupted on February 24, producing a chain reaction of events that could lead to a geomagnetic storm on Earth”explained astronomer Dr Tony Phillips at Spaceweather.com.
This burst of sunspot AR3229 triggered a M-class solar flare (medium intensity) of long duration. Radiation from this eruption traveled at the speed of light to reach Earth in less than ten minutes and disrupt communications at sea for nearly an hour.
A coronal mass ejection is heading towards Earth
But it’s what’s to come that could bring a geomagnetic storm: an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME). CMEs are explosions of charged plasma from the outer layers of the Sun. They travel much slower, taking a few days to reach us, but can cause geomagnetic storms when they arrive on Earth.
These storms can greatly disrupt satellites and radio communications. In the most extreme cases, they can damage electrical infrastructure on the ground.
Le Space Weather Prediction Center from NOAA (AAmerican Oceanic and Atmospheric Observing Agency) provides a 45% chance of a moderate storm this Monday February 27 with a risk of 15% whether it is strong or extreme.
Kaboom! ud83dudca5An M6.3ud83cudf1eflare and the location is perfect for a blast of solar protons – And that is what has happened! u2604ufe0fThere is a noticeable increase in the proton flux at Earth in the low and medium energy bands. Is there a CME comingu2049ufe0fMore activity @ https://t.co/xD29wLfm4e pic.twitter.com/aBkkVMwTaP
— Dr. C. Alex Young (@TheSunToday) February 25, 2023