After a series of solar storms over the week, the Earth is expected to witness one of the most intense geomagnetic events in years. The Sun has released a dense plasma cloud that is hurtling towards Earth, poised to create auroras stretching across latitudes far beyond their usual range.
The billion-tonne cloud of ionised particles launched from the Sun’s surface is currently blazing through the inner Solar System at over 1,400 km per second. It is expected to hit the Earth’s magnetosphere on Monday (June 8), as per the Space Weather Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Advertisement
The explosion on the Sun’s surface, which launched the cloud, originated from Region 4461 and was categorised as an M1.8 mid-range solar flare.
What is a solar flare?
A solar flare is an explosion on the sun that occurs when magnetic energy built up in the solar atmosphere is suddenly released. In this case, the magnetic fields of the sun snapped, ejecting a dense cloud of plasma under the corona.
Geomagnetic storms disrupt radio waves and are capable of impacting telecommunications and satellite systems.
Advertisement
This geomagnetic disturbance is expected to be a G2 level storm (strong). The severity of such storms is measured on a scale of G1 to G5, where G1 is considered minor, and G5 is extreme. In 2024, a G5 storm hit the magnetosphere, resulting in auroras stretching all the way to India.
For any such storm, the scale of disturbance and the subsequent aurora can truly be determined by knowing the alignment of its magnetic field relative to Earth’s magnetic field. This can only be found out 15 to 60 minutes before impact.
Over the last week, the Earth witnessed three solar flares, one of which was categorised as an X1.0. X-class is used to describe the largest and most intense flares.
In 2024, a G5 storm hit the magnetosphere, resulting in auroras stretching all the way to India. (File Photo) 
Share
