It is expected to cause a low-intensity geomagnetic storm.
During one of the most intense weeks in recent times, the Sun let out a 120,00 mile-long fiery filament that is headed straight toward us. Experts expect it to reach Earth by the end of the week,Solar activity has been picking up pace in the past few months as the Sun approaches the peak of its solar cycle. Every 11 years or so, the poles on the Sun switch their positions, sending our star into a tizzy of activity, marked by the appearance of sunspots and darker areas on the solar surface.
Last time around, the filaments held their own. However, on October 4th, another long filament, also in the southern part of the Sun, snapped like a rubber band,said in its report. Interestingly, observatories that were capturing the activity had a stoppage in the data stream that was being received, and the information available about the filament was incomplete.
Scientists aren't sure where exactly the resultant CME is heading, but they know enough to know that it is headed toward us and could graze our planet's magnetosphere on October 7 or 8.The likely interaction of the CME with our planet is expected to cause a G1-class geomagnetic storm. On the intensity scale, such storms are relatively mild and have a minor impact on infrastructures such as power grids and communication satellites.
Although the Earth's atmosphere protects the planet's inhabitants from the highly energized particulate matter in the CMEs, astronauts and spacecraft that do not enjoy such enveloped protections are at risk during such events.However, not all effects of the geomagnetic storm are so scary. Auroras are also the result of space weather caused by the Sun.
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