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A solar flare.
(NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory)
The Sun has, since last week, fired several rounds of solar flares, all of which can lead to potential power grid fluctuations and irregularities in satellite orientation on Earth, as per multiple sources.
This week, since November 1, the Sun has produced three of the outbursts that scientists call coronal mass ejections (CMEs), Space.com reported.
CME can be defined as a massive eruption of solar particles due to intense flares from the Sun aimed directly at Earth.
CMEs shoot globs of gas and magnetic fields out into space, often from sunspots, which are knots in the Sun’s magnetic field. On November 1 and 2, a sunspot designated AR2887 unleashed two of these outbursts. Then, later in the day on November 2, a second sunspot called AR2891 produced a CME as well.
That third outburst, called “cannibal”, is moving more quickly than its two predecessors, so it swept through all of one previous CME and part of the other, according to monitors at SpaceWeather.com.
All three CMEs have been headed more or less toward Earth, and scientists predict that the resulting large CME will arrive at Earth and produce geomagnetic storms beginning Thursday, the report said.
The US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which tracks CMEs and similar events, has declared a minor geomagnetic storm watch for Wednesday and a moderate watch for Thursday.
As a result of these storms, SWPC has warned of potential power grid fluctuations and irregularities in satellite orientation. The predictions indicated that the storms might also trigger stunning aurora displays of the northern lights as far south as New York, Wisconsin and Washington.
The Sun’s activity is governed by an 11-year cycle; currently, the Sun is in what scientists have labelled “solar cycle 25.” This cycle is expected to peak in 2025, and early predictions suggested it would be a reasonably moderate cycle, much like its predecessor.
Last week, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a “significant solar flare” erupting from the Sun, which resulted in disruptions in GPS signals on Earth and supercharged Earth’s northern lights.
The Sun emitted an X1-class flare, the most intense so far, NASA said in a statement on Friday.
The US space agency tweeted about the flare:
The X1-class flare caused a temporary yet strong radio blackout across the sunlit side of Earth, centred on South America, according to SWPC.
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The above article has been published from a wire agency with minimal modifications to the headline and text.
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