‘One-two punch’ of solar storms to slam into Earth, causing auroras this week

The Earth is set to get a "double punch" of solar storms soon and this could supercharge auroras in the regions where they are visible.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare (bright flash at top right corner) on July 2, 2023. (NASA/SDO)

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As a new and large sunspot is emerging on the southeastern part of the star, two solar storms are headed towards the Earth. One “coronal mass ejection” on July 2 and another happened on July 4, according to NASA. Now, they are set to deliver a “one-two punch” to the Earth on July 7.

Coronal Mass Ejections, or CMEs, are when the Sun ejects lots of particles and magnetic energy from its corona, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA). The corona, the Sun’s outer atmosphere is structured by strong magnetic fields. Sometimes, these fields are closed, often above sunspots. The confined solar atmosphere can suddenly and violently release bubbles of gas and magnetic fields, or CMEs, according to NASA.

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CMEs can sometimes contain billions of tons of matter that can be accelerated to speeds of millions of miles per hour. These streams of solar material cut through the space in between planets and impact any planet or spacecraft in its path.

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SpaceWeather.com reported on the formation of a large sunspot earlier this month. Based on helioseismic echoes from the far side of the Sun, there is a chance that this could be the edge of an even larger sunspot group that will turn towards our direction with the rotation of the Sun.

Our #Sun celebrates #July4 with its own special fireworks! We have two partly Earth-directed #solarstorms (aka CMEs) on their way. The second storm will catch up to the first giving us a 1,2-punch. Model predictions show impact likely July 7. I’ll post NASA model runs next. pic.twitter.com/gtJwgcYS4Z

— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) July 5, 2023

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NOAA has issued a G1 Minor Storm Watch for July 7, 2023 and predicts that the solar storm will collide with our planet at aroun 9.18 AM IST. G1 is the weakest class of geomagnetic storms and its effects are expected to remain mild for the most part.

It could cause some weak power grid fluctuations and have a minor impact on satellite operations. Migratory animals could be affected by the storm as well. But there is a chance that auroras could be visible in different parts of the world where they are usually visible.

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