Solar storm ALERT! CME to hit Earth today, says NOAA; NASA sees more trouble ahead
On June 9, an M2.5-class solar flare eruption was spotted by the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The flare was produced in a particularly unstable sunspot AR3331, which is still in the Earth's view. The eruption sparked a short-wave radio blackout in Mexico and the southern region of the USA. It also released a coronal mass ejection (CME) cloud into space which is going to strike the Earth and spark a solar storm today, June 13, as per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Check the details.
As per a report by SpaceWeather.com, “NOAA forecasters say that a CME might hit Earth's magnetic field on June 13th. It was hurled into space by an M2.5-class explosion (movie) on June 9th. The glancing blow could cause, at most, G1-class geomagnetic storms”.
Compared to some of the stronger solar storm events that we have seen in the previous months, this particular one is not expected to be too strong. But, even minor storms can cause some serious damage. It can disrupt wireless communications and GPS services, causing trouble for airlines, mariners, ham radio controllers, and drone operators. The solar storm can delay flights, cause ships to change course, and disrupt any important information that is shared through these low-frequency channels. The CME is likely to strike the Earth in a few hours' time as per the NOAA models.
This will not be the end of troubles for Earth either. NASA also detected active regions on the farside of the Sun, and they are expected to face the Earth this week. If they are still active and unstable, they can fire fresh solar storm attacks on Earth.
The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) carries a full suite of instruments to observe the Sun and has been doing so since 2010.
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