A solar flare is heading towards the Earth’s magnetic field

On Sunday August 16, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spotted a powerful solar flare bursting from the surface of the Sun. The slow-motion flare created a shock wave in our yellow dwarf star’s atmosphere – and a small ripple toward Earth’s magnetic field.

According to prediction models created by NOAA, coronal mass ejection from the Sun is not exactly directed in the direction of the Earth, but it could graze the magnetic field of our planet. It is scheduled to strike the Earth’s magnetic field on Thursday, August 20, and it is possible that minor geomagnetic storms and high latitude auroras could result.

So how will this affect us here on Earth – and should we fear a possible solar storm? Despite warnings that we will be “hit”, the science is in our favor.

What are Coronal Mass Ejections?

Space weather is controlled by flareups from the sun that are ejected into outer space.

The Sun periodically ejects boiling plasma, in the form of solar flares and solar wind, through the solar system. These ejections cause magnetic storms in Earth’s upper atmosphere, which can have major effects on power grids, satellites, orbiting spacecraft and astronauts.

Solar activity is largely dependent on the Sun’s magnetic field. The Sun’s magnetic field goes through a periodic cycle in which the south and north poles essentially change spots, and it takes them another 11 years or so to go back.

The midpoint of the solar cycle is when things really get better, and the increase in activity means more solar flares and radiation output from our host star. In turn, as this solar cycle ends, the Sun becomes less active.

Coronal mass ejections are very energetic eruptions of the Sun and the main source of major space weather events.

Essentially, they are giant bubbles of gas and magnetic flux released by the Sun with up to a billion tons of charged particles, traveling at high speeds of up to several million kilometers per hour. These clouds, and the shock waves they cause, can sometimes reach Earth and cause geomagnetic storms.

Geomagnetic storms, meanwhile, there are major disturbances to the Earth’s magnetosphere – the space surrounding our planet where charged particles are affected by its magnetic field.

Storms sometimes bring beautiful Northern Lights, but can also cause disruption to navigation systems and power grids.

How serious is the next geomagnetic storm? – The coronal mass ejection in question results from a class B1 solar flare, which is rather small compared to explosive flares. This is also why it takes several days for the ejection to reach the direction of Earth – it could take less than a day for a very powerful solar flare to reach us.

As a result, NOAA predicts that the resulting geomagnetic storm will be in a G1 category or a minor storm. Minor geomagnetic storms may have very small effects on power grids and satellite operations, or they may have no effect.

Ultimately, these storms have no real effect on us on Earth, nor will they disturb the Earth’s magnetic field.

Instead, observing solar flares and the shock waves they create in the Sun’s atmosphere teaches us more about our elusive star and its life cycle, which scientists are still curious about.