A MINOR geomagnetic storm may hit Earth today, researchers from the NOAA forecast.
On July 6, a stream of solar wind is expected to hit Earth’s magnetic field, experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) said.
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This event constitutes a G1-class geomagnetic storm, which is fortunately considered ‘minor’.
NOAA researchers explained in a post that the storm is forming from a “geoeffective coronal hole high-speed stream.”
The coronal hole in the sun’s atmosphere from which solar particles are escaping was described as ‘cyclops-like’ by experts.
Coronal holes are basically areas in the sun’s atmosphere that appear dark in X-ray and ultraviolet images.
They comprise a hot and glowing outer layer of the atmosphere that surrounds the sun and can extend for millions of miles into space.
Where are the solar winds coming from?
Earlier last week, a massive solar flare from the Sun almost hit our planet.
While the flare did not impact the Earth, it “snowplowed some dense solar wind plasma in our direction”, according to SpaceWeather.com.
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What are solar flares?
A solar fare is an eruption of intense high-energy radiation from the sun’s surface.
When solar flares hit Earth’s magnetic field, they are called ‘solar storms’.
This occurrence can then lead to geomagnetic storms.
What can this geomagnetic storm do?
This solar event won’t affect humans on the Earth but can cause minor disruptions to power grids and satellite operations.
Some geomagnetic storms can also cause radio blackouts and even pose a threat to astronauts on the ISS.
Furthermore, those living across northern-tier US states may see some auroras produced by the event tonight.
What are auroras?
Aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is the result of electrically charged particles from the sun, smashing into gaseous particles in our planet’s atmosphere.
The massive burst of material from the sun prompts a geomagnetic storm, which brings the aurora to lower latitudes.
Solar storms cause bright, colorful dancing lights in white, green, pink and purple that illuminate the sky and are considered an incredible sight.
Color variations occur when different types of gas particles collide with the charged particles.
The most common color of the aurora is green, which is created when oxygen molecules about 60 miles above the ground react with the particles, whereas nitrogen causes a blue or purple hue.
