Multiple powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun on December 29-30 are heading towards Earth. The arrival of these CMEs is expected to trigger moderate to strong geomagnetic storms on December 31-January 1, potentially causing the northern lights to be visible in mid-latitudes of the USA and Europe.
The Sun was a hive of activity on December 29-30, with multiple powerful flares and two coronal mass ejections . These CMEs are massive clouds of plasma, which can take hours or even days to travel through the vast solar system., these CMEs are now heading towards Earth. Their arrival is expected to trigger moderate to strong geomagnetic storms on December 31-January 1.
Three significant X-class flares were observed: an X1.1 flare from sunspot region AR 3936 on Dec 29. The next day, the same sunspot unleashed X1.5 flare. Meanwhile, a different sunspot region also erupted with an X1.1 flare on Dec 30. “There are currently five sunspots on the solar disk with mixed-polarity magnetic fields capable of producing M-to-X-class solar flares. NOAA forecasters estimate a 30% chance of additional X-flares on Dec. 31st,” statedThe coronal mass ejections associated with these solar flares exhibited complex behavior. While CMEs often accompany flares, the one potentially responsible for the December 31st geomagnetic storm was observed an hour before the first flare on December 29th.
Sun Solar Flares Coronal Mass Ejections Geomagnetic Storms Auroras
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