According to reports, solar storms will be dominating Earth today and may continue into this weekend as a result of multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs) heading our way. These are dangerous to electronic equipment and outages are expected.
Earth will be the hot spot for solar storms today and they may continue into the weekend, according to reports. Yesterday, it was reported that Earth will be hit with a full-halo coronal mass ejection (CME) sometime today, July 23, and now more reports suggest that more than a solar storm can be expected, as there will also be a slow moving CME. hitting the Earth today and tomorrow. It will be an interesting time, as scientists still don’t know if the two CMEs can combine to form a stronger solar storm. Much depends on when the two CMEs will hit Earth. The full-halo CME is likely to cause as strong as a G3 class solar storm that can also cause significant disruptions to Earth’s communication systems as well as damage to higher-orbiting satellites. Read on for more details.
On July 22, it was reported that a storm cloud was hurled toward Earth as a result of a “solar tsunami” eruption. There is a high chance of G1-G2 (minor to moderate) solar storms with a small chance of escalating into a G3 storm that is considered strong. Now, today, SpaceWeather.com reported on another CME. Noting on his website, he said, “a slow-moving CME is expected to reach the Earth’s magnetic field; it was thrown into space by a solar flare on July 15. Meteorologists believe a current high-speed solar wind is closely following the CME. Its arrival on July 22 could amplify any storms created by the CME, extending the disturbances until July 23.”
Solar storms will hit Earth over the weekend
The increase in solar activity is related to the Sun reaching its solar maximum, as part of its solar cycle. According to NASA, the Sun goes through an 11-year solar cycle where solar activity (unstable nuclear burnings on the Sun’s surface) first increases and then decreases as the cycle comes to an end. The highest point of this solar activity is called solar maximum, where the occurrences of solar flares, solar prominences, and solar storms increase manifold. On the other hand, during the less disruptive period of the Sun, solar minimum, these combustions are significantly reduced. The Sun will reach the peak of its solar maximum phase in 2023. It is not yet known why the Sun exhibits this behavior in a pattern.
As solar maximum approaches, the intensity of Sun-induced space weather conditions will also increase. While this current solar storm is expected to be as intense as a G3 class, which may cause only minor damage to satellites, shortwave radio blackouts, and GPS disruptions, a G5 class solar storm like the Carrington event can easily damage power grids, cause spontaneous fires and also damage electronic devices.