Geomagnetic storm today! Scary ‘Cannibal’ CME shot at Earth after 17 solar flares erupt from Sun
A destructive solar storm has been hurled towards the Earth and the resultant Geomagnetic storm will hit today itself! This solar storm stems from a large coronal mass ejection (CME), which is being called ‘Cannibal CME’. This CME was shot towards the Earth as a result of as many as 17 solar flares which erupted in the same sunspot, a very rare event. In the last few days, the solar activity directed at the Earth has increased significantly. This was due to a notoriously active solar region AR2975 which came into central view of the Earth last Monday and has been shooting wave after wave of solar flares at our planet. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the resultant geomagnetic storm that will hit Earth today will be of a massive G3 class. It has the potential to cause some damage to satellites and other communication systems on Earth.
The SWPC has shared that the cannibal CME is speeding towards the Earth at a speed of 3,027,599 kmph, which is extremely high. Although the speed itself is not a concern since unlike asteroids, it does not add to the damage, it is still worrying as it means the geomagnetic storm will hit the Earth sooner and will give less time to scientists to take evasive action concerning satellites and other sensitive infra. In fact, the solar storm is expected to hit the Earth within a few hours today!
Cannibal CME are those which actually overatake and, in a sense, devour the earlier ones due to their higher speeds. The combined charged particles form a giant front that sparks geomagnetic storms on Earth. This always has a higher electromagnetic output and can cause significant damage to satellites and communication
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