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Biggest solar flare since 2017 erupts from sun and Earth is in the firing line
On Oct. 3, the sun released the most powerful solar flare this solar cycle, a colossal X9.05 eruption.This follows a flare from the same sunspot group on Oct. 1.
Expect auroras this weekend.
https://www.space.com/most-powerful-solar-flare-this-solar-cycle-x-9-earth-firing-line
The sun has just unleashed its most powerful solar flare this cycle, a colossal X-class eruption.
The solar flare emanated from the sunspot group AR3842, which has made headlines before. On Oct. 1, the same sunspot region fired off a powerful X7.1 solar flare and unleashed a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a plume of plasma and magnetic field — which is currently barreling toward Earth.
An Earth-directed CME did indeed follow the monster flare, space weather forecaster and meteorologist Sara Housseal confirmed in a post on X. This could be excellent news for aurora chasers, as CMEs can trigger geomagnetic storms, which in turn can result in dramatically boosted auroral displays. "As of right now, I would anticipate an impact at Earth late 5th — early 6th," Housseal wrote.
The incoming CMEs are expected to hit Earth between Oct. 4 and Oct. 6, possibly triggering widespread auroras.
The solar flare emanated from the sunspot group AR3842, which has made headlines before. On Oct. 1, the same sunspot region fired off a powerful X7.1 solar flare and unleashed a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a plume of plasma and magnetic field — which is currently barreling toward Earth.
An Earth-directed CME did indeed follow the monster flare, space weather forecaster and meteorologist Sara Housseal confirmed in a post on X. This could be excellent news for aurora chasers, as CMEs can trigger geomagnetic storms, which in turn can result in dramatically boosted auroral displays. "As of right now, I would anticipate an impact at Earth late 5th — early 6th," Housseal wrote.
The incoming CMEs are expected to hit Earth between Oct. 4 and Oct. 6, possibly triggering widespread auroras.
Downloadable pics from NASA here:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14701/
Note: Deleted accidental duplicate post