April 17 (UPI) — An unusual magnetic storm from the sun will aim at the Earth soon, and experts say it has the potential to cause some noticeable damage here.
Scientists say that the solar activity — called a geomagnetic storm — will produce a magnetic discharge and send it in the direction of Earth. Essentially, increased activity on the sun will eject significant amounts of Coronal Mass Ejection with high-intensity energy toward the Earth and other inner planets.
Coronal Mass Ejections are expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s corona — the bright, shiny outer crown of the star at the center of our solar system — into space. And when they are ejected toward the Earth, they can interfere with the planet’s magnetic surface in an exchange of energy and cause certain damage.
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been tracking emissions of Coronal Mass Ejections, which see billions of tons of plasma from the sun and its embedded magnetic field arrive on Earth.
The storms are caused by magnetic activity on the outermost portion of the sun, which causes it to burst regularly, creating Coronal Mass Ejections that collide with Earth’s magnetic field. Some models project that the activity will affect the Earth as soon.
Coronal Mass Ejections toward the Earth have happened many times before, but significant damage from them is rare. Some scientists believe that the new solar activity, however, has the potential to cause some damage — largely in the form of regional power blackouts in higher elevations and disruptions to radio signals. Mid-altitude areas will likely experience less damage but could still see power disruptions, NOAA said.
The Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India said in a tweet that its model indicates “a very high probability of Earth impact” on Thursday with solar energy speeds ranging from 266 to 357 mph.
