The Sun is back to its flying best, prompting space experts to warn that a giant solar storm has erupted and may be headed for Earth. This is expected to trigger a dangerous geomagnetic storm on Earth. A major perturbation of Earth’s magnetosphere due to the efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind to the space environment surrounding Earth can cause a powerful geomagnetic storm that can disrupt satellites, power grids, the internet, and more. NASA says that “Sunspots are areas that appear dark on the Sun’s surface. They appear dark because they are cooler than other parts of the Sun’s surface. The temperature of a sunspot is still very hot—about 6,500 degrees Fahrenheit!” These sunspots are relatively cool because they form in regions where magnetic fields are particularly strong on the Sun’s surface. These strong magnetic fields keep some of the heat inside the Sun from reaching the surface. The Spaceweather.com report suggests that the current sunspot is so large that it’s even changing the way the sun vibrates. The Space Weather Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted that the geomagnetic field around the Earth will be unstable over the weekend, which could disrupt the radiomagnetic sphere. “A high-speed solar wind stream is approaching Earth. Estimated time of arrival: August 9. Gaseous material flows from an equatorial hole in the sun’s atmosphere. High-latitude sky watchers should be alert for auroras,” Spaceweather.com reported. Space Weather Physicist Dr. Tamitha Skov also took to Twitter to update us on the expected auroras over the next few days. Her tweet reads: “My new #SpaceWeatherWoman forecast is complete! Watch the massive prominence as it clings to life on the Sun’s eastern edge, learn about the low-performance high flare player in Earth’s view, and see if the upcoming fast #solarwind will bring us #aurora this week” Higher northern latitudes could see dazzling auroras due to the solar storm, but it is still unclear whether it will turn into a massive geomagnetic storm or not.
