Solar Storm 2021: A strong Geomagnetic storm is set to hit Earth on October 30, 2021, after the US Space Weather Prediction Center under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a watch out for a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm. On October 28, 2021, the Sun blasted a significant solar flare and Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from sunspot AR2887 wherein the Sun emitted X1 class solar fare. The CME erupted at a speed of 973 km/s and will take 2 days to cross the Sun-Earth divide and reach Earth’s atmosphere by October 30. The US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) continuously observes the Sun.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also captured a ‘significant solar flare’ blasting off from the Sun. The US space agency NASA also confirmed that the Sun emitted an X1-class flare on October 29, 2021.

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Geomagnetic Solar Storm 2021: How will it affect?

The US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) confirmed that the X1-class solar flare currently erupted from a sunspot called AR2887 which is positioned in the centre of the Sun and facing the Earth, based on its location. The geomagnetic storm set to hit Earth on October 30 has been rated as G3 on the 5-step scale of ranking of solar events. The impact of a G3 solar storm is generally nominal, stated the SWPC.

Though the harmful radiation from such a solar flare cannot pass through the atmosphere of Earth but could disrupt some high-frequency radio broadcasts and low-frequency navigation. It may affect GPS signals, satellites, and the electricity grid.

The SWPC said that that the X1-class solar flare that erupted from the Sun on October 28 caused a temporary yet strong radio blackout across the sunlit side of the Earth-centered South America.

As per NASA, the X1-class solar flare is expected to hit Earth’s magnetic field on October 30. When the solar storm hits the magnetic field of Earth, it could create an aurora at the North and South poles. The Northern Hemisphere could witness a celestial show known as the Northern Lights. The SWPC Director William Murtagh noted that since the impact of the solar flare will happen during the daylight hours, “we are looking at overnight of the 30th into 31st for the best chance to see the aurora”.

Murtagh also noted that the Sun has five sunspot clusters. These are large magnetic storms that appear darker than the rest of the Sun. Only two of these five clusters are likely to cause any damage to Earth.

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What is a Geomagnetic Storm?

The US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) defines a Geomagnetic Storm as ‘a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere that occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth.’

The largest storms that result from these conditions are associated with solar Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). During a CME, the Sun emits billion tons of plasma. With its embedded magnetic field, the CME arrives at Earth in several days. Some of the most intense solar storms typically arrive in as short as 18 hours. A 5-level NOAA Space Weather Scale classifies Geomagnetic storms on a G-scale.

While the geomagnetic solar storms create beautiful aurora on the poles of Earth, they also can create harmful geomagnetic induced currents (GICs) in the power grid and pipelines and disrupt navigation systems such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

What is Coronal Mass Ejection?

The US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) defines Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun’s corona. These CMEs carry billions of tons of coronal material and an embedded magnetic field. The CMEs are found to be traveling from the Sun at speeds between 250 km/s to 3,000 km/s.

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