The Sun is going through an intense period right now. Our host star is experiencing increasing activity, with a series of solar eruptions targeting Earth causing rare geomagnetic storms.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center issued a severe geomagnetic storm warning on Monday following a series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) last week. The storm reached a G4 level, which means the storm is very severe. Geomagnetic storms triggered bright, colorful auroras in different parts of the world last night, and more are expected to take over the sky later tonight.
Since last week, space weather forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been monitoring at least five coronal mass ejections erupting from the sun, anticipating that some of them could make their way to Earth. “Some seemed to miss the Earth, some clipped the Earth, and then we expected one of them to be a big hit,” Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at the Space Weather Prediction Center, told Gizmodo.
We are in the midst of a severe geomagnetic storm! 🌎🧲💥
A series of solar eruptions that reach Earth trigger widespread auroras. This is what NASA space weather analyst Karina Alden saw while traveling through Michigan and Wisconsin last night! https://t.co/KG5pvCdyit pic.twitter.com/qrpdkva4Vj
— NASA Sun and Space (@NASASun) August 12, 2024
The Sun is approaching its solar maximum, a period of increased activity in its 11-year cycle that is characterized by intense solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and large numbers of sunspots. In early May, a G5, or extreme geomagnetic storm, hit Earth due to massive jets of plasma from the sun’s corona, also known as coronal mass ejections. The G5 storm hit the earth for the first time in more than 20 years and had some impact on the earth’s power grid.
Although the recent storms have not been as strong, space weather forecasters are monitoring coronal mass ejections but admit these events are difficult to predict. “Until it’s only 1 million miles from Earth, which is only 15 to 45 minutes away, we’ll never know what it will actually be, what the CME is made of, and what it’s made of,” Dahl said. “Then we can see the components of a CME. How strong is its magnet? How fast is it moving? Is it connected to Earth?
Dahl said all the information about the latest coronal mass ejection to hit Earth came together Sunday night. Back then, scientists observing solar activity were able to predict that a severe solar storm was coming.
This solar cycle is extremely active, with the sun producing the largest number of sunspots since 2002. 299 sunspots.
It’s clear that the sun isn’t going to stop working anytime soon. “The bottom line is that we are going to be impacted by increased activity this year, throughout next year, and even into 2026, and from that point forward we will continue to have a higher chance that this type of activity will continue to occur. We Experiencing the remainder of the solar cycle maximum.
