geomagnetic storm

After days of warnings for a G3-class geomagnetic storm, yesterday the coronal mass ejection (CME) finally hit the Earth and it turned out to be a dud. The impact only sparked minor G1-class storms briefly before being dispersed by the planet's magnetosphere. While the Earth was lucky in this encounter, soon a far bigger problem is coming its way. Researchers have spotted a huge sunspot group on the farside of the Sun and it is big enough to change the way the Sun vibrates. It is expected to face our planet the next week…

The early forecast revealed that a large cloud of coronal mass ejection (CME) that escaped the Sun over the weekend after a solar flare eruption, was scheduled to hit the Earth yesterday, May 11. But it never came, confusing the space weather scientists. But now, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) prediction has revealed that the CME hit is expected today instead. The powerful solar particles are likely to spike G3-class geomagnetic storms, which are fairly strong.In its 3-day forecast, NOAA stated,…

A powerful burst of plasma, called a coronal mass ejection (CME), is set to hit Earth at any time. It is travelling at an incredible speed of 3.6 million kilometres per hour through the inner planets. The solar storm will have many consequences for Earth.When the CME collides with Earth's magnetic field, it is likely to cause a G3-class geomagnetic storm. This could lead to vibrant auroras in the sky. The impact of a CME on Earth depends on several factors, such as its speed, direction, and magnetic fields. If the CME is…

On Tuesday, it was revealed that a coronal mass ejection (CME) cloud was released during a powerful solar flare eruption over the weekend. This flare was a part of multiple such eruptions that took place over a period of three days when a sunspot complex turned unstable and reversed its polarity. The resultant CME is said to be a potent one and is capable of sparking a powerful solar storm on Earth. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has predicted that the storm will hit our planet later today,…

The recent surge in solar activity has caught many astronomers off guard. There has been a significant increase in the number of solar flares erupting on the Sun, resulting in abnormally fast solar winds. In turn, this has sparked strong geomagnetic storms on Earth. This is due to the Sun being at its most volatile as it approaches its solar cycle peak. The star entered its 25th solar cycle in 2019, with the peak expected to occur in 2025. However, some studies suggest that it could arrive earlier, given the sudden surge…

The minor geomagnetic storm, which was supposed to be sparked by multiple coronal mass ejections (CMEs), has passed us by without causing much concern. However, a new development on the Sun has begun troubling the Earth. A sunspot complex including AR3293, AR3294, AR3295, and AR3296 has turned unstable and is crackling with solar flares. These flares have been erupting incessantly and as a result of the intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a rolling series of radio blackouts have been caused on Earth. Find out if another…

Northern lights in India! Rare aurora lights up Ladakh skies after geomagnetic storm: Watch | Photo: Twitter/File (Representational image)To see the rare aurora, visitors from all around the world travel to the northern and southern hemispheres. Humans have been captivated, overwhelmed, and inspired by these "northern" and "southern lights" for ages. Photographers have recently gone to extraordinary lengths to attempt and capture the magnificence of these atmospheric phenomena. A powerful geomagnetic storm…

While solar storms are routine affairs for higher latitude regions such as northern Europe, the USA, Canada, and especially the Arctic circle, it is an extremely rare occurrence for places such as India, which are much nearer to the equator. However, on April 23, when the Earth suffered the worst solar storm of 6 years, even India fell in its geoeffective region. As a result, the night skies of Ladakh were filled with bright aurora display. Luckily, astronomers were able to capture images of this rare event to showcase…

On April 30, the forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) warned about a sunspot, named AR3288, which was growing at an exponential rate and contained unstable delta-class magnetic fields. Just a day after the warning, the sunspot exploded, blasting a powerful solar flare in the direction of the Earth. As per NASA, it was an M7-class flare eruption and it sparked a radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean region. The bigger question now is whether a solar storm is coming for the Earth.A…

It has not even been a full week since one of the strongest G4-class geomagnetic storm struck the Earth and now, another similarly powerful storm is set to hit our planet today, April 28. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a coronal mass ejection (CME) cloud is expected to sideswipe our planet, sparking another solar storm event. The CME was released on April 24 when a magnetic filament on the surface of the Sun turned unstable and exploded. With this solar storm set to hit the Earth…