coronal mass ejection

Yesterday, a massive sunspot spanning 200,000 kilometers containing as many as 12 dark cores was reported on the Sun. As per information from the NASA Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO), there was a high chance that it could explode at any moment, and that is exactly what happened just an hour ago. An M-class solar flare was seen erupting on the sunspot, whose extreme ultraviolet radiation sparked a short-wave radio blackout on the Earth. While NASA has not been able to confirm the presence of any Earth-bound coronal mass…

Radio emissions detected about 24,855 miles (40,000 kilometers) above a dark region on the Sun have aurora-like qualities, according to a team of astronomers that studied the emissions.What Inspired Dominic Monaghan's Performance in Moriarty?The emissions were seen above a sunspot— a dark region on the Sun’s surface. Magnetic fields around sunspots are about 2,500 times stronger than Earth’s, according to the National Weather Service, which causes the temperature in sunspots to be cooler than the brighter parts of our…

It appears that yesterday's solar storm was not the end of troubles for the planet, as another coronal mass ejection (CME) cloud is expected to strike the Earth later today, July 27. The CME was part of the released mass that escaped the Sun during the solar flare eruption on July 23. Researchers have been tracking the CME, but yesterday, another CME made an impact unexpectedly. It is believed to be another smaller CME that came from a blind spot. The real threat is still yet to hit, as the incoming CME is much larger…

Yesterday, it was reported that a solar storm will strike the Earth tomorrow, on July 27, after a coronal mass ejection (CME) was seen moving towards Earth. However, the planet has been struck with a solar storm today itself, leading to many researchers being perplexed. Some believe that it is the same CME that somehow accelerated and struck ahead of time, while others believe there might have been another CME that was overlooked by the satellites and hit us from a blind spot. Either way, the solar storm today has…

Have you ever heard of Equinoxes? During this time, the Sun shines directly at the equator and the length of day and night becomes equal at all latitudes. During Equinoxes, the Earth's axis is tilted neither toward nor away from the sun. There are only two times in a year when Equinoxes occur. The Equinox which occurs during the autumn, is known as the autumnal equinox. This day usually occurs in mid-September. Increase in solar activityDuring the past week, the Earth experienced a series of impactful events caused by…

Last week, the Earth suffered multiple hits by the Sun, including two separate solar storms and a couple of radio blackouts. This was one of the most active weeks for solar activity after April, and researchers believe that the Sun is picking up the intensity again, as we approach the autumnal equinox (historically, the highest solar activity period, along with the vernal equinox) in September. As a sign of that, another solar storm has been predicted to strike the Earth on July 27, two days from now, on the back of a…

Yesterday, it was reported that two separate coronal mass ejections (CME) are set to strike the Earth between July 20-22, and the double solar storm produced as an effect could reach a high intensity. The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has confirmed that the first of the two CME clouds has struck our planet. As the solar storm rages on, the second CME is also expected to hit within a few hours.According to a report by SpaceWeather.com, “A CME…

Every now and then we hear about solar storms and solar flares being spewed out by the Sun and the impact it has on Earth including on satellites and power grids. But have you heard about solar radiation storms? Before discussing the term, let's first know what are solar storms and solar flares.NASA describes a solar flare as an intense blast of radiation caused by the release of magnetic energy from sunspots. Whereas, solar storms refer to the atmospheric consequences on Earth due to space events like coronal mass…

The Earth just experienced a minor solar storm yesterday, July 17, that sparked aurora displays at some locations in high-latitude areas. But just as soon as this solar activity subsided, another, bigger problem arrived. In the early hours today, July 18, a big M6-class solar flare erupted on the unstable region of AR3363 on the Sun, as detected by the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory. Researchers believe this solar flare is more dangerous than X-class flares due to the long duration of the event. It has also released a…

NASA has a full suite of instruments to measure solar activity that affects Earth. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory or SOHO is one of the premier instruments that is used by NASA and ESA. Launched in 1995, SOHO is equipped with 12 scientific instruments, such as an Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT), Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI), LASCO (Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph), and others. SOHO captures images of the sun's corona, measures the velocity and magnetic fields of the sun's surface, and…